


Back To You [UNDER CORRECTION]

by altmansfate



Category: Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Station 19 (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Flashbacks, Humor, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rough Sex, Sad with a Happy Ending, Teddy and Amelia friendship, Teddy and Casey friendship, Teddy and Maggie friendship, Teddy being well treated, Wake-Up Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:33:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 34,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26965213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/altmansfate/pseuds/altmansfate
Summary: "Teddy's happiness hasalwaysingrained complications―― and love was never an easy battle to win. She and Owen went their separate ways earlier in the year... so plans to get married, having another child, it all went to hell. Months later, she found safety and love in Tom…or does she think so?Is that her happy ending, or will she has to win back what she has lost? Maybe after all, she’ll come back to him. Because passion is uncertain."DISCLAIMER:This story is complete and currently under correction of terms, quality and illustrations. In any case, hope you enjoy it. Thank you.
Relationships: Andrew DeLuca/Meredith Grey, Atticus Lincoln/Amelia Shepherd, Teddy Altman/Owen Hunt, Teddy Altman/Tom Koracick
Comments: 39
Kudos: 23





	1. Clouds and Thunders

_"What are you thinking?"_ A voice outside her thoughts asked.

Teddy tilted her head to look at him. In the middle of the stormy night, full of lightning and an uncontrollable wind, Tom was watching her almost asleep. He used to fall asleep before her every night, but _this time—_ something had waked him up, and he had probably been watching his lover ever since.

The thoughts of her choices in life consumed her completely. **Every night**. It had been months since she had made the decision to make a happy life with Tom, and everything seemed to be going well since then... however, something about her wasn't certain. A part of her, somewhat unsure, was taking giant steps.

"Nothing important... I'm not sleepy." That was the only answer she gave.

"Teddy, lately I worry about you... _a lot._ " Tom said, stroking the blonde's shoulder. Eyes full of curiosity. "Is there anything you want to tell me?”

_Probably I didn't make the right decision,_ she thought. Allison was part of her, and that part of her was growing up without her biological father. She was happy with Tom, or so she wanted to believe, but Allison wasn't going to feel the same way about having parents who were certainly divorced. They never got married; but for her, that's what it felt like to be separated from Owen for so long. _Owen_ , pronouncing that name in her mind still shook her yet gave her so much comfort.

"I guess it's... realizing the responsibilities that come with being a mother," she said, hugging herself. "Realizing that Allison will grow up without her father.”

She was honest. She had to be with herself, and with him. She just let the comment come from her nervous lips, and kept her gaze in the corner of the room.

"Allison will not grow up without her father..." Tom laughed to himself, taking his hand off her shoulder. "I can't believe **this** is keeping you awake, Teddy. _It's been months._ You and Owen are splitting up schedules to be with the baby."

She looked at him a little blankly.

"So what I'm feeling is silly for you?"

" _It is,_ " he nodded. "Allison won't be the first or last child of separated parents... so as long as you two— maintain a parental relationship, everything will be fine for her."

A thunderous lightning strike shook her in bed, but she didn't know what to say about it. Was it foolish to want your daughter to grow up as a normal child, with her respective parents? Not everyone had that luxury in life... being raised by _two_ parents. She certainly didn't anymore... and her daughter might have had it yet, if she hadn't ruined everything. If they hadn’t. _Guilt, she felt so much guilt._

"And I'm here too... Teddy. I don't know if you've noticed..." he started laughing again, letting out some air from his chest. "I have the money and the skills to raise your daughter, don't you think?"

She nodded with a sad smile on her face, settling back into bed. It was time to sleep... Altman didn't think wasting any more time trying to talk some sense into her boyfriend. Tom didn't understand; _he was never going to_.

  
"Yeah, I think so," she said in a very soft tone of voice. "Rest, Tom. I love you."  
“Goodnight, Teddy. I love you too.”

* * *

Monday mornings. These were tedious and terrible. **But above all,** a way to start and do things right again.

After taking a shower and getting dressed for work, she took Allison in her arms. The little girl was _still_ sleeping, and didn't seem to have the slightest intention of opening her eyes still. The love Teddy felt for her was immense; she could tell, by looking at her, that she could do anything for her. To be happy, strong and patient. Be a mother, but above all a hero to her. Which for the first few months she thought she couldn't be... but thanks to the confidence she gained in herself, she began to believe she was capable of.

"Are you ready, sweetheart?" was Tom's raspy voice. Teddy turned immediately, looking at him from head to toe. He was wearing a pine-green shirt, black shorts and was barefoot. Looked like he had just gotten up... _for the chief of staff_ , he always looked relaxed and comfortable. As if there wasn't much work to do for the rest of the day.

"Yes, I'm ready," Teddy replied. "I'm going to drop the baby off at daycare, and go to work... don't be late. Today is Monday."

"Whatever you say, Miss Teddy.”

* * *

That was all she heard before she walked out the front door with the baby in her arms. She put Allison in the car, in the back secured with a seat belt. Then set off for the hospital as quickly as possible. Hospital doors opened to her at once, and although she had the weight of the world in her arms, a gentle female voice broke into her anxious thoughts of a professional marathon runner.

 **"Hi, Teddy!"** Amelia. With her beautiful short hair, and her clear eyes looking excited. _"May I help you?"_ she raised her arms to help the blonde. Immediately, Altman handed her daughter into her arms and Amelia took her very carefully. A smile was painted on her lips.  
"She’s _huge_ and... heavy," she said. "Does she let you sleep?”

Two of them began to walk around the hospital together, like a good pair of friends. They had been friends for quite some time since she had started her journey through the maternity ward.  
"One night she wakes me up... _and the next she doesn't_ ," the blonde sighed. "But she usually lets me sleep, thank God.”  
Teddy suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Amelia, caressing her with a slight smile on her face.  
"I know that sometimes it can be difficult..." she began to speak. “But as Owen once told you, you are capable of many things, Teddy. That little girl **only** needs you."  
"I'm not sure..." Teddy said, _"Sure about what?"_ she thought later without saying anything.  
Amelia looked at her in confusion, stroking Allison's little head covered with a little lilac hat.  
"Sure about what?"  
"Sure that I can handle this all by myself..." Teddy let it out, frustrated. But Amelia didn't ask any more questions as they arrived at the daycare.

They left the little girl in the hands of the shift caregiver, and then Altman could see that someone was playing in the back of the room. A little boy. He had two little red cubes in his hands, and the curls were falling down his forehead while he held the pacifier in her mouth. **Leo.**  
Memories came back to her. Memories about being at Owen's household, helping him change the diaper for the first time... taking the baby to sleep— for the very first time. So many memories landed in her head, that she found herself unable to contain them in a mental bunker without letting them go.

Later she started walking with the light-eyed woman through the hospital corridors.

"Teddy, _what did you mean?_ " she asked. Teddy was hesitant to answer her question, to tell the truth, or to lie.  
"Tom is not a good father to my daughter, Amelia.”

Shepherd seemed a little surprised to hear that answer— surely she had the conception that Tom was such a good lover, as a responsible father. And to see all that change in a second...  
"May I know why?" she asked again.  
"All he does is sleep at home, and drink beers.” Teddy talked, letting out an outraged part of her " _And no matter how much I tell him..._ or how much I refute it, he always looks for a way to make me feel that I am wrong. That what I think is **stupid**."

Amelia wasn't sure what to say about it. The two of them crossed in a brightly lit hallway leading to the changing room. After entering, she closed the door and stared at Teddy for a long time as they changed.  
"He thinks it's stupid for you to criticize the bad father he's being?" she asked in a gentle voice, out of the blue. Teddy didn't seem bothered to listen, much less uncomfortable.  
"He thinks **that** _..._ and many other things I think are not valid, stupid." was the subtle response of the blonde.

Altman had a simple ponytail made, while her friend left her hair down as usual in comfort. They wore their dark scrubs on duty, and walked out the door a while later, not without talking.  
" _Look... Teddy,_ " Amelia began to speak again in a low voice, in a way that only the two of them could hear as they walked. "I never wanted to tell you, but now that we're getting along so well... I don't think Tom is what you look for in someone.”

Teddy looked at her strangely. As far as she knew, Tom and Amelia had a very passionate mystery affair in the past... and she had never heard a bad comment on him. Perhaps she refused to do such a thing. Meticulously, she licked her lips before asking in a clear voice.  
"Why do you think that?"

As far as she knew, she was happy. In a period filled with imbalance and unbearable pain, Tom had made her feel stable and secure. She had been in love with him ever since.

  
"Tom is... probably the **strangest** man I've ever met. He will never listen to an opinion that is not his own, because he is _the man_ ," she turned her eyes for a second. " **A sexist pig.** "  
"So you think he's not what I'm looking for because he's sexist? _"_ Teddy asked, somewhat confused; unsure where the conversation was heading.  
"I think he’s not what you're looking for... because you want something else, Teddy. Someone who will listen to you and appreciate you. Not someone who will manipulate you like that..."

 **The word**. She had never heard that word being associated with someone like Tom, someone she loved. But if she really thought about it... it was a smart mix. Tom and his manipulations; like the night before. In the midst of the storm and the whirlwind of her thoughts, how he overshadowed the way she felt about her motherhood.

_"You think he's a manipulator?"_

Amelia sighed, seeing someone in the distance... A male figure approached them, with coppery hair and hands in his pockets. He was using the same scrubs as them. The pale but familiar and happy face on seeing her told her everything... Owen.

 _"I don't think so,"_ the woman whispered before she had him in front of her. "I'm sure, Teddy."

 **"Morning ladies, how are you both?"** Hunt's familiar and tender smile painted the whole place with harmony. Teddy only returned the smile, not knowing exactly what to say after that answer from his friend, and then Owen's question.

_And how could she feel... after understanding everything?_


	2. The Valley of the Lost

She was almost shocked to look at him, didn't _expect_ to meet him in the early hours of her day. But she had him right in front of hers, with a smile so tender that it could drive any woman crazy.

"Owen, how are you?" was the mumbled question that came from her lips. Amelia had also greeted him very naturally.  
“I'm fine," he said. “Leo didn't let me sleep much last night— hopefully I’ll take a break later.”

He sounded tired, and both of them had noticed. Seconds later, a male figure appeared in close proximity, and the last thing Teddy could hear was Amelia screaming, accompanied by a jump like a little girl when she was handed a cotton candy.

 **"What's up?"** spoke Link with his conquering frat-boy smile, and suddenly the conversation split in two, as if Amelia and Link had been taken away by a bubble. They were just talking to each other... about things only they understood. The two outsiders looked at them in silence, a little uncomfortable.

 _"How's my daughter doing?"_ The question pulled her out of her thoughts with a jerk. Owen asking about Allison was a common occurrence, but she didn’t expect to find it so easy to break the ice with that question itself.  
"She is... _fine_. I dropped her off at daycare a little while ago. She didn't cry much last night."

Owen took a deep breath, crossing his arms at his chest, unable to stop himself from smiling. And there he was again.  
"I miss her so much at night," he said. "You should give her to me, even if it's just for a weekend.”  
The blonde nodded, laughing. It seemed to her that, Owen being such a good father to his daughter, he could have her whenever he wanted. He wasn't one of those **irresponsible** men with a child, after all, he always wanted a family... and there he was, taking care of her.  
"You just have to tell me," Teddy said, with a gentle smile. "You don't deserve any less. You've been _the best_ father to my daughter.”  
Suddenly, she felt the thick white fingers walking from her shoulder to the hill in her neck. Hunt didn't lose confidence when it came to respectful touch, and the smile didn't leave his face.  
"And you have been the best mother to my daughter, in spite of everything. So thank you."

Teddy realized many things in that. . . fraction of a second. How much she missed the redhead's fingers caressing any fragment of her skin, and how much she liked to see him smile at the slightest thing. Remembering when both of them had realized they were waiting for a girl... Altman would remember that, and her heart would melt indeed.  
 _But her inside was her inside,_ and it didn't spill out. She kept her eyes calmly on himself, not quite knowing what move to make next. Then he took a sigh.

  
"I have a surgery... in about thirty minutes, in fact," the blonde said almost in a whisper.  
Hunt nodded calmly, leaving his hand in the air as he took a few steps away as well.  
"I'll go see Allison, see you.”  
"See you later."

It was the last exchange of words. The blonde with her hair up was walking down the aisles with both hands in one pocket, waiting to see who she was going to see on the way to the operating room.  
Luckily, just a few steps away from entering, an unsuspecting and almost comical scream made her turn around in surprise.

**"Major Altman!"**

  
The short boy with brown eyes looked at her with emotion, making the military salute. Teddy didn't know what to say, she just laughed. He had blushed seconds later, noticing that he had probably made a fool of himself... _in front of dozens of eyes._ Poor guy.

  
"Morning, lieutenant" Altman said with politeness, sliding the door. "Are you ready for surgery?"  
"Yes, ma'am!" he exclaimed.

She did nothing to stop him, much less claim him, but laughing at his witticism. It was a language they barely understood, and she realized it the night he wandered around the hospital hallucinating after his concussion.  
They both went inside. OR was almost dark, except for the graduated lights and the body lying on the stretcher. There were people around already prepared, waiting for her. It was too cold—— so cold that her skin responded immediately with a shiver.

There was no more exciting sensation than being inside an operating room, with a scalpel slipping through the fineness of his fingers.

_"Okay, let's get started..."_

"That was amazing, Major Altman!" Casey squealed as they took off their gloves and washed their hands carefully in the sink. Altman laughed, smiling happily that everything had gone as well as she planned.  
"You can call me Teddy, it's okay," she said politely.  
"You're one of the cardio goddesses in this hospital, along with Dr. Pierce. I think it's only fair that I treat you with a lot of respect.”

She felt so praised that it was funny to her deep down, but she accepted all those compliments. _Cardio goddess?_ Teddy couldn't remember the last time anyone would have called her that, other than Owen, of course.  
"I guess... years of experience. Life teaches you so many things, in so many ways.”

He slid the door open so the two of them could go outside to get some fresh air. They could consider it a small hour's rest. Casey was her favorite intern; not only because of how sweet he was and how well he treated her, but also because of his qualities when it came to being in front of an operating table. He didn't get nervous like any other intern. Instead, he was always suggesting ways to proceed, therefore helping his mentor. In so long, _months,_ he had become almost like a hospital child to her.

  
"You're right," he said in a low voice, almost as if he were regretting in the background. "Life teaches us things in different ways, not all of them are nice.”  
"Why do you say that?" Teddy's curiosity emanated, manifesting itself in her words.

The two of them left through the huge glass door, and could see that the morning was still impeccable. The sun was shining and the birds were flying around the many trees in the area. There were people sitting on the benches talking, a little girl enjoying a candy, other children running around.  
In a place where despair and stress was day-to-day, it was nice to see someone with a smile unburdened by worry.

"Remember that I'm just like you, Major Altman," he sighed. "I went to war, lost a loved one, had a tragic youth... But here I am. And they call me a blood bank; I guess that makes me useful.”

Attentive to what he was saying, she stood idly by at all times.

  
"You are an obedient, charismatic, and very intelligent boy. I think that's enough to make you who you are... and to be whom you'll be.”  
The sun's rays reflected so well on her blond hair, it was a beautiful sight. But she was able to notice, holding on to one of the locks gently while waiting for an answer.  
“And who are you?”  
The question inevitably made her laugh. No one knew that, and she stopped knowing since this morning. Or since months ago. Felt like she had stopped being herself... but she was trying to stay on track for her daughter.  
"Honestly? I don't know."

After extensive conversations about self-identity, she felt kind of freed. Not better, cause she wasn't fully concious yet of whether the decisions she’d made were right or wrong. Like being with someone who wasn't a good father to her daughter... or a good boyfriend to her.

But something deep down was telling her that everything would be okay sooner or later, even if the pain in her chest was as sharp as a whistle.  
The day went by quickly. And she couldn't wait to go home to be at peace with Allison in her arms, singing her a lullaby or stroking her little cheeks while she appreciated her beautiful eyelashes.

Finally the night had come. Theodora was drained, overworked. So the last thing she did after changing into her jeans and putting on a leather sweater was to go pick up the baby at the daycare. But she didn't expect what she had found there until she saw it from the front.  
She was under the doorway, amazed and delighted. Her eyes were set on Owen, who was holding little Hunt Altman in his arms. He was still in his dark scrubs, still loaded with work and duty... but it was as if when he held his daughter in his arms, the whole world stopped.  
Altman looked nostalgic, and without realizing it she was smiling like a fool. Something was stirring inside her when she witnessed that scene. Perhaps she hadn't seen it for so long that the familiarity was lodged in her beating heart.

**"Are you ready to go, Teddy?"**

Impressed as well as frightened, she turned around, encountering Koracik's cold gaze.  
Hadn't seen him all day, as she had been full of jobs and he probably was too. Caressing her own somewhat nervous arms, she nodded with a smile.

"Sure, just... let me get my little girl."  
Tom nodded in response without saying anything.  
"Of course, I'll wait for you in the parking lot," he said bitterly, and started walking around, getting lost in the hallway.

Teddy entered the small children's space with a shy smile, and noticed that the look of the sweet and exhausted Owen was already upon her. The blonde just approached with simplicity, miming to carry her daughter in her arms.  
"It's time to go... how has she been?"  
The man's warm, welcoming laughter flooded her senses, and he spoke immediately.  
"She has been good. I miss her so much..." It seemed as if the last sentence had slipped away from him, carried away by the icy wind in the room. Teddy kept a perfect mother's smile on his face, even though it was getting harder and harder to keep it up.

"Don't worry... Friday will be all yours, until Sunday or later. _If you wish._ "

There was no response, no more than a restrained laugh with air on the part of the redhead. Altman started walking to the door saying goodbye to him, not knowing what else to do.

  
"Good night, Owen. Please rest."

There was no answer either, not until she almost crossed the threshold of the door. The gentleman's loud, straight voice stopped her in her tracks.

  
"I miss you too, Teddy.”


	3. Wide Awake

_"I miss you too, Teddy."_

Hunt's spontaneous words have been tattooed on her subconscious ever since. All she knew was, that she didn't answer anything about it. She simply walked away as if she hadn't really heard a single syllable.

* * *

  
And there she was, in the kitchen preparing some dinner for her partner and herself. The trip from the hospital to her house had been abundantly quiet, as if Koracick was _repressing_ something inside him so as not to screw up with her. Probably wouldn't be aware that he had screwed up a million times before, but she didn't open her mouth because she’d feel guilty.

  
The smell of smoked chicken awakened her senses, so she removed it from the fire to serve it on the plates next to the exquisite salad she had prepared. The regret of not having gone to check how the baby was in the bedroom assaulted her from time to time, but she settled down remembering that Allison was one hundred percent asleep.

"What are you doing for me today?" Chief of staff's voice, **sarcastic as usual** , rumbled in her eardrums. The smile of the man leaning on the table was sly as always, with some intention underneath.  
"For the three of us," Altman corrected, "a delicious salad with chicken... and lemon tea. You’re in?"  
Tommy took a seat. Both were still wearing the clothes they'd used to go to work, not bothering to undress or just put on some pajamas. The fatigue probably didn't even let them think; especially her.  
 _"Always"_ Tom said briefly, "Teddy, can I ask you something?"

As soon as he asked that question, the blonde froze up mentally, but continued to do her things normally, not wanting to externalize what she was feeling on the inside.

Teddy placed the fancy salad plate next to the glass loaded with tea, ice and lemon.

  
 **"Of course"** she replied, not wanting to seem frightened or anxious, taking the salad dressing jar in her hands to pass it on to her boyfriend. There was a momentary silence as Tom explored his plate with his eyes and took his silverware to start eating.

"Owen wants to see our daughter?" his question was... dry—— and concise.

_Our daughter..._ Sitting down as he did after serving her own plate, she took the cutlery and took a sip of the tea, staring at him as if she had nothing to hide from him. _Of course she had nothing to hide from him;_ she hadn't even answered that "I miss you too, Teddy" and the distressing feeling devoured her positiveness.

"Yes, he asked me today if he could have her this weekend..." she chopped up a bucket of tomato with her fork."Why?"  
"Should I be honest?" he asked, to which Teddy nodded unhappily, armed with courage. "You seem cold to me lately, _about us..._ You're turning into a robot, almost. You barely do things for our daughter, and you won't look at me."

Altman couldn't help but laugh, containing a burst of sudden anger. It was as if she had been kicked in the ovaries with such an expression.

 **"Barely?"** she asks aloud, dropping the silverware. "I’m her mother, and I do **everything** for her. I've done it from the moment she was born. Don't you dare take credit from me... _to give it to you?"_

There it was. What Amelia had told her this afternoon... and a part of the conversation she had had with her favorite intern. The manipulation and the circumstances that life made us face from time to time. Tom continued to eat, and after taking a sip of the iced tea, he picked up the conversation again.

"I'm not doing anything, don't get upset" he spoke calmly. "I'm telling you these things... because I love you, and I want this to work. You haven't looked for me all day at work," he suddenly brought out that which he had repressed within himself. "How should I feel about that? You haven't looked for me all day, and when I go out to look for you to leave... you're looking at your ex-fiance like a high school girl."

**"You're kidding, right?"** she interrupts him.  
"No, I'm not..." he tries to respond.  
 **"Of course you are!"** she suddenly screams, banging her punch against the table. Everyone knew about Theodora Altman's temperament, of course Tom was challenging her. "First of all, I barely do anything for **MY** daughter. And then... I can't be happy that Owen has a relationship with my daughter, when him and I are separated?"  
"Yes, _you can_ , Teddy but..."  
"No, **fuck your buts** ," she exclaimed, getting up from her chair. "I'm sorry if I don't want to make out with you in the hospital, but I have some major things to do. And for the record... _My daughter is spending the weekend with her father._ Whether you like it or not."

She started to walk away, and Tom was barely going to say a few words, grabbing her hand... when she refuted again.  
"Enjoy your meal, Koracick."

* * *

In the darkness and loneliness of her room, she was sitting on the edge of the bed with little Allison in her arms. It was a familiar scene for her, to be like this every night with her little girl and to feel how the issues would eventually vanish.  
Tom wasn't going to sleep with her that night, probably after the argument, he didn't even want to look at her. _Life was like that_ , and Teddy more than anyone knew it.

Life could change from one second to another with a sudden bump that no one expected. But that doesn't mean we should stop living it.

Allison, already asleep in her arms, was enough to slowly and carefully place her in the adorable crib embellished with toys and a blanket.

" **It's going to be all right, sweetheart. Mommy promises you."**

Some minutes later, she turned on the TV at a low volume while she took up the huge double bed for herself. At that moment she felt free to do whatever she wanted all night long, as if literally nothing in this world could stop her from doing what she wanted. What she really wanted.  
Taking her cell phone in her hands, she searched for Owen's contact, which had been saved as "Allison's father" a few months back.

Nervous, but determined to do so... to remain an educated and loving person, she began to write. Without turning back, she pressed her finger on the send button and the message slid up— appearing as sent.

"I miss you too, Owen."


	4. In My Dreams

In the darkness of her room, she blinked several times until she opened her eyes completely. She had slept all night, and her boyfriend had not come near her. She wondered where he had chosen to spend the night, in the guest room or in the living room with the TV and his bizarre cartoons blaring into the air.

The strands of her golden hair covered the pillow, and she looked like a goddess in an artistic painting. She moved her fingers rhythmically over the canvas of the sheet, hesitating between getting up to go to work or not. After the message she had sent to Owen, she didn't feel confident even to see him the next day... He would think she was a coward, that she had swallowed her words when she should have simply said them, instead of walking out behind Tom to go home. He would think that she didn't love him as much as she proclaimed, and that she had only returned that message out of commitment... when the truth was, that the more she fell into the reality of her life, the more she realized that she missed Owen Hunt like she had never missed anyone else.  
Allison hadn't woken up yet, nor had she bothered all night. It was a sure thing that she would inherit her father's good sleep. 

Theodora slowly got out of bed, walking to the bathroom to brush her teeth and take an encouraging shower to start the day. There was nothing that could screw her up, not after she had fought so well the night before and not been persuaded by her boyfriend. But still, the thought of the infinite possibilities that Owen would think badly of her, caused an expanding hole in her chest which only faded with the cold water that flooded her body.  
"Teddy?" a recognizable and deep voice asked. It was Tom. She could see him standing in the entrance to the bathroom, through the sliding glass door.

"Of course, can't you see me?" she gave him a sour answer.  
"Of course... I recognize that body where I see it," Tom said, ignoring the bitterness in the blonde's voice. "May I come in?"

Suddenly the water stopped, she had finished showering a few seconds later. Her hair smelled like strawberries, as did her soft skin, but the truth was that she wouldn't give Koracick the pleasure of trying it that morning - and probably the next night, either. Teddy slid the door open, leaving with two white towels on top. One was tied around his waist, and the other was covering his hair.

"I think that answers your question," she said slowly, clarifying her voice. "Has Allison woken up?"  
He was standing in front of the door blocking her exit with an interrogative look. It was as if he didn't want to give her an escape.  
"Are you going to be like this all morning?"  
Altman didn't respond. Approaching the man in front of her again, she raised her determined face with an expressionless look.  
"I asked you a question," she shouted. "Is my daughter awake?"  
"No... She is not," Koracick replied calmly."But you are irritating today. Don't tell me you're going to turn into those prudish wives."  
Altman frowned, about to laugh.  
"Not wanting to have sex with you makes me a prude?” she asked shamelessly. "You won't force me to do anything..."  
"The thing is... " he closed the door behind him. "I don't want to force you to do anything. I want to discuss everything that happened yesterday..."  
"Between my legs?" the blonde raised an eyebrow, stubbornly.  
"No... Teddy..." Tom relaxes his face, a little nervous in front of her. "About our daughter..."

Teddy's thundering laughter disconcerted him, so much so that he stopped talking at once. She placed her hand on his shoulder, prompting him to step aside.  
"First, she is not your daughter," she established as a rule. "Second, let me go... I have work to do."  
The silence that was more than a habit lately in that relationship was put in the middle again. Tom stepped aside, without even looking at her, and she just walked out the door knowing that she had won the argument for the second time in a row. If that... you could call it an argument, if Tom really wanted to discuss things like a wise soul.

"You're selfish, you know?" she heard the man at the bathroom door. She was already sitting on the bed, looking at the horizon distracted by her thoughts, and didn't respond. "I have taken care of you. I got you out of a relationship with an idiot who didn't want you. I've given you everything you need. Loyalty, love, sex and money..." he continues, insensitively. "And for one stupid excuse, I'm not your daughter's father anymore. You don't want to sleep with me anymore, and you don't want to have sex. Which offends me..." he sighed, with no intention of stopping. "I'm sure even your father didn't love you like I do. You still have time to appreciate things a bit... Have a nice day."

The door slammed shut. Teddy was frightened, so impressed with the door slamming, that the only thing he heard afterwards besides her lungs releasing the heavy air they were holding, was her daughter crying in the crib. What if Tom was right? What if she was a selfish person who was doing everything badly? She was ruining her life without realizing it... taking steps in vain. The mention of her father had hurt her, as she rarely named him because of the memories it brought back. And she saw that it had been a mistake to mention him in the past... he had used it against her to make her feel guilty, and it had worked, hitting her with a gun. And it went all the way through her body... Now she was shattered, and her feet didn't seem to want to move off the ground.  
The towels would go from her smell of strawberries to just wet from not having exposed them to the sun. Eventually her hair would wet all the sheets, and eventually her daughter would stop crying. Teddy lost track of time, of space... and let herself be carried away by her thoughts, being consumed by that voracious hole in her subconscious.  
Until she fell into a deep sleep.

The winter snowflakes brushed against the window of his apartment in Berlin. She was comfortable, sitting and appreciating the landscape that the city offered her, while the man as fine as wine welcomed her in his arms and caressed her with those long cold fingers, which were as soft as velvet. All her worries were gone, she was as happy as she remembered herself before making one of the biggest decisions of her life. She was in company. Teddy tilted his head to see him, and there he was.  
Owen, with his meaty lips that formed the most beautiful of all smiles; as warm and poetic as a sunflower in spring.

"You don't know when I missed you..." Teddy whispered, closing her eyes as she buried her face in the redhead's neck, and he just held her tighter in his arms.  
"You can have me here whenever you want..." he replied to her in a whisper. "I will never leave you. I will be there for you, even if you don't choose me..." he sighed against her hair, kissing her on the temple. "This is the promise I made to myself. To love and respect you, until my last breath."

It was just them. It was just them. Even if it looked as cloudy as the most heavenly of all dreams, it was just them. And for her that was perfect in all her presentations. Teddy loved that man; with him, in the distance, in sickness and in health. There was nothing in the world that could change it.

"So many obstacles in life..." the redheaded man was talking against the woman's hair. "And in the end, I always came back to you. Teddy, it was always you... in my dreams, in my hallucinations, in my daily life. It was always you. And you always will be."  
She lifted her head, opening her eyes with the most illuminating and captivating smile in all of Germany. Posing her hands on his whitish neck, she looked into his eyes and let go of the answers to everything.

"And it will always be you... Owen" she mumbles, approaching his lips. "There will be nothing, no one that can change you. I will always come back to you.”

Then she kissed him, feeling that magnificence she missed so much without thinking. The fervent breath of her man as he kissed her, as he took her by the waist and placed her on the bed, to kiss her as he whispered

"I love you... I love you... I love you..."

And suddenly she just woke up. Her towel was wrinkled at her waist, with the pure smell of contained wetness, and her hair towel was in the corner of the bed, while her dry golden strands were attached to her pillow.  
There she realized that, in just one dream, she had been happier than all those last nights in one. She had been covering her feelings; wanting to cover the sun with her thumb, as if it was not evident that she never stopped loving the father of his daughter. The true and only father, who would give everything for their babygirl.  
She took a long sigh, until she heard the phone vibrating with an incoming call. She took it, unsuspecting, and noticed that the caller was the gentleman of her dreams.  
She slid her finger, without refusing to answer.

"Hello?" she said, still a little sleepy.  
"Teddy, how are you? Good morning..." was his voice, encouraging as always. Captivating, fascinating... "Aren't you coming in today? I want to see Allison, I have some things I bought her... and I'd like to see you too".

The message. She had left him a message... She didn't remember. But he had probably seen it, and wanted to discuss it. 

"Don't worry, I'm on my way. It's just that..."

Altman began to remember the whole scenario of that morning. It had probably been an hour or more since she had fallen asleep... and Allison was still asleep too, just by luck. But remembering the terrible things the chief of staff said to her face, she only felt like sobbing. 

"What's wrong, Teddy? Is everything okay?" Owen asked, worried as he listened to her stop talking. Teddy held back the crying.  
"I'm fine, I just had a fight with..." he refused to say the name. "It doesn't matter. I'll tell you everything as soon as I get there, okay? Let me get Allison ready. And excuse me..."  
"You have nothing to apologize for." Owen clarified, to make it all clearer, "I'll see you at daycare. Take care of yourself... please."

Finally he hung up, without waiting long.  
Teddy jumped up to get her and her daughter ready, trying to get out in a hurry. It was going to be a long day, full of tension and probably another argument when she got home. As tears streamed down her face, she abandoned herself in the arms of her anxiety, wanting the day to end once and for all.


	5. Complicated

"Did he really tell you that?" Owen spoke at the end of it all. 

He was holding little Allison in his arms, and whispering a few little things in German that only her mother could understand. The air in the nursery was colder than ever that morning, and they were both alone there, not counting the woman in charge of watching the children. Among several children, there was Leo and Harriet, playing with some plastic trains and red buckets.

Teddy noticed something different about her that morning. The thought that if it weren't for the redheaded man who was asking to see her and her daughter, she wouldn't have gone to the hospital. Instead, she would have been immersed in the sadness of her room, asleep and delirious.

"Yes... he did," she mutters, losing herself in the innocent eyes of little Hunt-Altman. "He is right about many things."  
"You're kidding, right?" the redheaded man invaded her thoughts with an assaulting question."Teddy, you're not selfish, much less a prude..."

"I am," said Altman unscrupulously. "I feel too guilty... You know?"

Silence seeped into the conversation, and Owen didn't seem to want to say anything else. However, his eyes, fixed on Teddy as they would be every time she entered a room, said much more than could come out of his mouth. He knew what she was capable of, and so he believed her to be skilled enough to get out of a relationship where she was not valued.

"Look, Teddy," Hunt suddenly spoke. "I'm not going to tell you to give it up... but I don't want you to think poorly of yourself either. I don't want you to feel guilty about the crap he spouts out of his mouth. He's a grown man, and he knows what he's doing... and says. What he said about you, and the mention of your father, is disrespectful, and that's that."  
"I don't think he gets how hard it was for me to talk about my parents, especially... my father," she replies to the minutes, letting out a sad sigh. "... and he lets it out like that, as if it didn't mean anything to me. My dad loved me more than anyone else in the world, how dare he?"

"That," points out the redhead. "That's what you must think, Teddy, how dare he say that? Don't blame yourself, please..."

The words to Teddy were like a caress in the distance, one that only the icy wind in the room could manifest accompanied by a sad look from the gentleman. He bent down in the pause of the conversation, leaving the little girl in the hands of the caretaker.  
As soon as he got up, he had an answer from the young Altman.

"But what about the rest, Owen," she asks. "I bought a house with him, he's been a great support to my daughter... and he trusts me. He tells me about his things, like his son... I can't be such a scumbag, and leave him all alone.

"Financial support, Teddy" Owen loose, going out to the corridors with her. She detected a look in the distance, and a very recognizable friendly smile: Lieutenant Parker. The blonde greeted him with eyes of kindness, and he gestured mischievously to her, after seeing her accompanied by the ex-fiancé.   
Both continued to walk, but the redhead did not seem to notice as he continued to talk. "Financial support doesn't equal emotional support, and that's what you need. What Allison will need later on, too. He's not going to give her that..."

"Well, you're right," Teddy redeemed his thoughts of self-blame. "But, he also tells me his stuff like I told you... personal stuff. He trusts me, and he opened up to me like he hasn't done to anyone before. Everyone here thinks he's an egomaniacal bastard, but I've seen something else..."

"Yes, Teddy" Hunt sounded a little annoyed, as he approached the operating board. "And what about you?" he asked pointedly. "Do you tell him how you feel? Who carries the emotional weight of that relationship?"

"I..." she began to stutter, stunned. If there was one thing the Hunts had, it was to hit the nail on the head when it came to saying or asking something. They were tough, but at the same time they were very smart. 

The truth was that she had always carried the emotional weight of the relationship and no one else. Tom wasn't interested in what she cared about as a mother, or as a woman. Tom wasn't even a little bit interested in the fact that suddenly, Teddy didn't feel strong enough to get out of bed. Tom was not the least bit curious about his girlfriend's traumas. That was unfortunate. Now that he thought about it, he had been dealing with repressing and omitting her thoughts for many months... "You've taken more away than you've caused" was a phrase the man had said to her months before, after he knew she had broken up with Owen before the wedding. Was the phrase a compliment? Now that he thought about it, he had been dealing with repressing and omitting her thoughts for many months... Now that he thought about it, he had been dealing with repressing and omitting her thoughts for many months... "You've taken far more away than you've caused" was a phrase the man had said to her months before, after he learned she had broken up with Owen before the wedding. Was the phrase a compliment? She was trying to see it as such, but the truth is that the more she heard his voice, the more miserable she felt. 

"Teddy? Did I say something wrong?" Owen asked gently, stroking her shoulders gently. Then the blonde came back to herself, looking at him with a smile.

"No... No..." she muttered, stuttering "You just told the truth. I'm sorry... it's been months with Tom. Only now am I realizing many things."

She realized that a few months ago she had lost herself. Lying in Tom's arms, in love with someone who probably didn't exist. In love with something she created in her mind. She believed that Tom would heal all the problems and pain that her relationship with Owen brought... her insecurities took over.   
And there she was; trapped, unhappy, devastated. Just lost.

"I'll tell you one more thing, Teddy." Owen approached her with those familiar hands on the military's folded and tense arms. "You are the only one, Teddy, the only one... who makes decisions about your life. Don't let anyone take that privilege away from you. Be loyal to what you want and desire. Be devoted to your... aspirations. But most of all, be faithful and be patient with yourself.”

He said all this with that smile she remembered so many years ago. In the middle of the sandstorms of the Iraqi battlefields… in the helicopter flights with the wind shaking her hair back... and lying in his arms, in the cold bed of her house in Germany.   
The love, desire and respect for that man in front of her was inevitable, like a time bomb.  
She restrained herself from any impulse in the midst of people; impulse to hug him, to caress him and to wrap herself in his arms as she did long ago... she just nodded, and let him go. Again, Owen was lost in the halls, among sighs of distress and hard work.

"I want you," she sighed heavily, about to collapse, lost in the echoes of her head.


	6. Remember The Days...

The days passed and the silence in his house was one more person. It was as if communication had vanished, nothing compared to a few months ago when the first thing she did when she woke up was to see Tom and stay in his arms for the rest of the morning.   
Nothing was the same, not for the last couple of days. Nothing was the same since she had realized what kind of man she had chosen as a stepfather for her daughter, there being so many men who could do it so much better than him.   
Everything was changing, and she was terrified. Terrified of being the reason for these explicit changes in their relationship. Terrified that the relationship would collapse in a matter of hours, and that the blame would be all hers. In the end she would be the one to get out of that relationship, but at the cost of what? Tom's voice begging for mercy in her subconscious kept pointing at her like a demon.   
Guilt, emptiness, guilt. The same thing he felt when he was with Henry, knowing that the love of his life for and forever would be Owen.

She had gone with Tom in pursuit of something more stable, someone with whom she felt she could put all her insecurities away without being a burden, and she had made a mistake since then... There she was, poor Teddy with her heart split in two: a dark and deep emptiness, while on the other hand, the starry sky and the stars. Both things in her heart were the extremes in which her life could be: abundant sadness, or eternal happiness.

Months ago... 

"Teddy, you can't leave... we're fine. You and I, we're fine." Owen's soft, raspy voice caressed her eardrums in memory.  
She stood firm in front of him, her bag and suitcases ready to go back to the hotel. The huge house the redhead had prepared for both of them was almost empty, as a huge part of it took all the light with it. The blonde's eyes were swollen, reddish from crying. Insecurity had haunted her until then and she couldn't find anything else to think about but Owen returning to Cristina.

"No, I'm going to leave. Owen. In the end, I'm always your second choice" her words were so sore, like broken glass scattered on the floor.  
"No, Teddy, you're not," he says firmly, holding her by the shoulders. "You have to listen to me, it's not what you think... those messages..."  
"It's not what I think?" Altman shouted. "You were telling her that you missed her, that you wanted her back, that you could never forget her... And I've always been here! I deserve more than that, Owen, please!"

He was going to say something, but he just stopped. The pain in his eyes was sharp, and his fleshy lips were trembling with no words. Both souls who had been through so much in the last twenty years, they didn't believe they could do more. Teddy couldn't take it anymore, she felt her two worlds crashing in that moment as her great love looked at her.

"I never meant it like that..." Hunt began to speak, nervously caressing her shoulders. But Teddy wasn't looking at him, instead he was looking at the door with his broken gaze; the reflection of his seafaring sadness. "Teddy, please... look at me. I need you to look at me."

She didn't hear him, her gaze remained static on the door without wanting to say another word. Not until she felt Owen's forehead sticking to hers did she react; that familiar gesture of deep connection that not just anyone made. That gesture that only they understood and felt deeply... that's when she reacted. Theodora closed her eyes containing an involuntary tear, and opened them again to let it escape, this time looking her man straight in the eye.

"I'm grateful for everything, Teddy" he whispers close to her, without even trying to kiss her, just stuck like a magnet. "Grateful for you, for all you have given me... and the brave woman you are. Don't put yourself down, please. We can get out of this. We can find a way. I don't want anyone else..."  
"You want her" Teddy whispers, about to cry on his knees on the floor.  
"No, Teddy, I don't want anyone else but you" Owen whispers against her, letting out his intoxicating breath against her. "You have to understand that I don't hold a grudge against anyone, least of all Cristina... we had an imperfect relationship. We both grew up. We are in different places... and I am happy where I am. With you."  
"Owen, please..." Altman lets go of that phrase, almost as if begging for mercy for those words.

He was right, as much as she wanted to deny it. But her insecurities were taking part in the game, remembering all the times they had cut their relationship off to be with someone else.  
"I'll love you forever, Teddy" Hunt recalls on her lips. "Can I kiss you one more time?"

The door rang, and he was baffled to go and open it. Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, the voice of a man he knew broke the atmosphere the two were forming.  
"Teddy, are you ready to go?" was Tom, on the other side of the door.

Then she returned to her sad and disappointing reality, in her lonely home, with only little Allison in her arms who she was feeding. It was just the two of them, but otherwise the energy of the house was so gray and hollow.

"Teddy?" an echo was heard on the second floor of the house, it was probably Tom talking from the bathtub or the bedroom, looking for her.  
"I'm in the living room," she shouts, without intending to sound upset, although it wasn't as if she wanted to hear him at the time either.   
Immediately the footsteps coming down the stairs were heard, and the voice was closer this time.  
"What are your plans today?" Koracick asked. 

He was wearing a turtleneck jacket, black as if he were in mourning. In that case, the dead man was their relationship, she thought, and an ironic laugh could not resist escaping her lips.

"What's wrong?" the man asked again, not understanding the laughter. "Don't you have any plans?"  
"I do..." she points to Allison using her mouth.  
"You can go out with Allison... Teddy. It's not like she’s a block" he points out, then sits on the couch watching her.  
"I have things to do, Tom. I don't have time for your plans..." she says, almost in a murmur of obstinacy.  
"We have relationship problems, and you don't have the least interest in solving them... it's been days." Tom squints, thoughtful. But she doesn't correspond to his gaze; she keeps her eyes on her daughter. "I can see where our relationship is going.”  
Hearing that, Theodora looks up and fixes on him as if she had no weight on her shoulders.  
"Where is it going?"  
"To the grave" he mutters, getting up to walk to the door. "And it's all your fault.”

Although she somehow felt it was true when it wasn't, she stood her ground and stared at him even with the child in her arms. Owen's words were repeated in her head.  
"My fault is that I don't want to have sex with you?" she hits the spot, leaving Tom speechless again, he gets up but Teddy keeps talking. "Is it my fault that I don't want to go out because I'm taking care of my daughter?"  
"Teddy, don't start..."  
"I'm starting!" she shouted hysterically, releasing the demon Altman from within her once again. She went to quickly place the baby in the crib, only to turn around and continue without intention of stopping. "The fault does not lie in me... Tom. Why is it my fault for not being happy in this relationship?"   
"Because you don't want to remove that sadness in the first place." Koracick tried to say... and was stopped at the same moment.  
"Oh yeah? I still remember when I told you my concerns as a mother, and you didn't care. Look Tom, I respect your past and what you've been through, but this isn't going to work. In a couple of days I'll pack up my things."

Stunned, not knowing what to say for the second time in a row in a heavy discussion... he crossed his arms, trying to decipher the woman's gaze.  
"It's Owen, right?" Tom asked her. "Do you do this for him?  
"No, Tom," she replied. "I'm doing this for me."

There was a common silence, and she spoke again.

"Now leave."


	7. You Should Be Sad

Once again, Teddy found herself alone in the privacy of her house. After feeding Allison for the last thirty minutes, he left her in her crib while she watched one of those cooking shows, looking to entertain her mind with something other than the problems she had with her boyfriend and what was to come.

What was she doing with her life? She was throwing it all away, risking everything, and she wasn't sure at what cost. The arrogant, deep pain in her chest threatened her like the branch of a giant tree crashing into her window, over and over again. It was as if even if she managed to get out of that relationship, she still felt a rock on each of her shoulders forcing her to be on her knees, submissive to her own guilt and self-sabotage.

Teddy had pulled away from her friends, her ex-fiancé and her own life again. She had been alone once again, which was a fact she had promised herself would change, but with Tom after the first two months everything was back to the way it had been: disappointing, bitter and gray. She had been sleeping alone in the huge bed for a whole week, while her boyfriend was probably sleeping in the living room or the guest room carefree.  
Thinking of the infinite possibilities of a future life full of happiness and abundance, she began to fall into a deep sleep... dreaming of dark eyes and military uniforms.

Later, a buzzing sound woke her up. She had slept through the night and not even her daughter had woken up. Some nights it was quiet, others her house looked like a fire station.  
Just waking up and with her eyes marked, she picked up the buzzing cell phone, answering an incoming call that she couldn't see who it was from.

"Hello?"  
"Mrs. Altman" was Parker on the other end of the phone, sounding very animated for such an early morning. The military had very punctual schedules.  
"Yes, Lieutenant?" she asked, sitting on the edge of her bed to look for the slippers, dragging her feet across the floor until she finally found them and put them on.  
"Are you coming to work today?" he asked impatiently. "I did an outstanding thing yesterday! I have so much to tell you."  
"Of course I did... just let me get ready, and I'll be there in a few minutes." As much as she tried, she didn't sound very cheerful or convincing to the lieutenant. Casey would notice just by listening to her. She got out of bed, stepped into the bathroom and took the towel to take a cold shower. She had the detail of locking the door before getting into the shower. "Are you there?"  
Casey didn't answer right away, but after a brief pause, he did.

"Yes, I'm here," he said. "I'm just checking a couple of things in my bag... I think I left my changing clothes at home."  
"Hmm" was all Teddy could say, turning on the faucet for the cold water without going inside yet. "I can go by your apartment, and look for your clothes. Is anyone there?"  
The lieutenant was more encouraged, and could feel it by the way he let out a laugh at the end of his question.  
"Yes, my roommate, Logan," he explained. "He probably hasn't gone out to work, his shift is at night. So..."  
"Okay, that's enough. I'll bring you some clothes, see you in a bit."

"Wait," he stopped her, even though she was very close to pressing the hang up button and leaving her cell phone in the sink.   
"What's up?"  
"You okay, right?" his voice was soft, not wanting to sound invasive.  
"I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not okay," Altman lets it out. "But I'll tell you later, good?"  
Casey sighed, hinting at how concerned he was about her.   
"Good, Mrs. Altman," he says. "Take care, I'll be waiting here."

There was nothing like a cold shower in the morning. For some it was scary and chilling, but for her it was the best of privileges before going to work. Her senses would sharpen, and suddenly it was as if everything became clearer to her, giving her more confidence about which path she was going to take.  
Getting out of the shower, she takes her cell phone, and after finishing her morning routine with brushing her teeth, she walks into the room keeping an eye on little Allison who was still asleep.   
She put on a comfortable long-sleeved forest green shirt and black pants. In the last moments, she took out a comfortable outfit for her daughter and put on other clothes for the rest of the day in the nursery. Minutes later, she was getting everything ready in the car.

Allison was settled in the back seat, awake and shaken up in the baby carrier. Her little fingers moved through the seat belt, and the pacifier kept her calm all the way.  
The blonde was watching her from the rearview mirror, and she couldn't help but smile at the sight of her in that mood. Her daughter's countenance changed her days completely; it was the only constant of serotonin in her life during those periods of darkness she was going through, and gradually she took the impulse to go out; to the light.

"Who is mama's beautiful girl?" Teddy would ask, staring at the street as she started to drive, and then she turned to look at his daughter making funny faces. Allison laughed. "You, you are my beautiful girl!"

The road was short, as soon as he arrived at the hospital after passing through Casey's apartment, he grabbed Allison in the baby carrier and walked to the inside of the workplace. Everything was in proper order, but she didn't see anyone she knew around; no one in her circle. There was no Bailey, Maggie, Amelia or the inmates. It was very early, probably many didn't arrive at that time.

"Teddy, hey!" someone shouted behind his back, until they got to his side.

It was no one but Owen, already wearing his blue dark scrubs. "Let me help you," he said, taking the baby carrier in his right hand to walk with her to the daycare center as they did every day. They didn't realize it, but they looked like the married couple themselves.

They both left their daughter at the site, and walked through the halls. He tried to find some pleasant conversation with her, making the atmosphere lighter and more fun.

"Did you sleep last night?" Hunt asked.  
"She sleeps almost every night," she replied with a spontaneous smile. "She's just like you. A real Hunt."  
He couldn't help but laugh at the thought, pointing to her.   
"You're a sleeping beauty too, don't deny it.”  
"Oh, shut up!" she screams with a half-scandalous laugh.  
"How are things going with... your boyfriend?" 

That was the question she couldn't answer. If she told him that Koracick had put all the blame on her the night before and that they had argued again, perhaps Owen wouldn't mind leaving a bruise on his eyes. But she didn't want that. She had to resolve this on her own, to clarify her fate, and she was going to do it...  
With a husky voice, and a smile that hid a thousand truths, she spoke again.

"I'd rather not answer that now, okay?" she asked, to which the ginger nodded politely. "I gotta go find him and ask him something, okay? See you later."  
"See you, Teddy."

Owen's smile when he said that was so sad and she was able to repair it before turning around, going straight to the office of the man she was looking for. She needed to ask him a couple of questions, including where he spent the night.   
Because before she left the house, she noticed that everything was intact; a sign that he hadn't slept there. Not that she cared, but she just wanted to get out of the way.   
Surely he had gone out to get drunk until he lost consciousness, in the name of sweet Theodora.

The elevator doors opened, and she came in, wishing the distance would be shorter and shorter. When the elevator opened, no one could stop her... so she went straight to her boyfriend's office.

The door was closed, and she made to turn the handle gently, but to her surprise... it didn't open. She sighed, without saying a word. He would be asleep, asleep and drunk... or drunk. One of those. But she managed to hear a few laughs, among them that of the boss, followed by an unknown female laugh. Teddy stepped back, baffled.

But wanting to understand, she stuck her ear to the door wanting to be wrong. It was likely to be a business meeting... but with the door locked? Laughs? She didn't understand, not until she concentrated on her quietness and that's when it hit her: hitting herself with reality.

"Oh, Tom! Not now!" the female voice says, as she laughs again. "You are very... very good. But I must leave, you have work to do and I'm sure she'll be around."  
"No... no..." He was there, with that seductive, masculine voice that she came to feel enchanted by at a certain point in her past. "I will surely see her at night, at home... but not here. Come on, one more time, baby."

Theodora was about to vomit, with tears in her eyes threatening to come out. Something inside her chest had broken, and she could feel it; her broken heart spreading throughout her body. But there was... a small percentage, a part of her that told itself she was not surprised.

"Oh, Alicia... you are so wet" he speaks against her. "This is heaven. Come on, give it to me..."  
"Oh, Tom!" this time she moaned fiercely, and something crashed into the wall but she didn't want to know what it was.

Teddy took three steps back, before running away with tears in her eyes and a sharp pain in her chest. She decided to ignore it, not quite knowing what she would do next... or maybe she did know what she wanted to do.  
In the blink of an eye, the elevator doors opened and she was just looking for someone special. She sent him a message that was successfully received.

"I need you. See you in the supply closet."

There she was, waiting for that person with the door closed. Until it opened, and then he came in.  
Owen had just come out of surgery, and his eyes were a bit startled but he didn't seem worried. Just for her... you could see in his eyes the curiosity of what he had to say. He closed the door behind him, and stared at her.

"What's going on, Teddy? Everything okay?" he asked, as polite as ever.

She came a few steps closer, sure of her decision. The feeling in her chest was gone at that moment, and her look was as cold as a freezer. She locked the door, getting a few inches closer to Owen's face, in a suggestive and intentional way.  
"You asked me how things were going with Tom, right?"   
The redheaded man nodded, breathing heavily as he held her so close that it was tempting for both of them.  
"Yes."  
"Well... here's the answer," she said.

And then she kissed him, a kiss that at first wasn't reciprocated, but then Owen caught on and refused to stop. She grabbed his shoulders, slamming him violently into the wall, but he couldn't resist and did the exact same thing to her, trapping her against the wall. Playing with his and her tongue in a demonic and ecstatic movement.

"I waited so long for this..." he says, beginning to undo the bra under her clothing.  
"Don't stop," Teddy pleads, "I don't want you to stop.  
"I'm not going to stop, Teddy," Hunt whispered in her ear, and then he threw away his own clothes and pulled down the blonde's pants. "Don't be too loud... this will be fun."


	8. Time's Up

He wouldn't stop, not now that he had her in his arms like he wanted to. Theodora was against the wall of the supply closet, a few meters from the main door that was still locked. Someone could hear the moans and noises they were making in the small, enclosed space, they were noisy like no other.

The blonde's fingernails drew imaginary lines on Owen's thick back, which moved wildly inside her, feeling its dampness take in and encourage him to reach the bottom, hitting the spot. It was more evident how much she had missed him, and she made it known through rubbing, caressing, moaning and pleading for him to come out stronger as they both came close to orgasm.

"Tell me" Owen mutters against her ear, taking advantage of the opportunity to lick her neck indecently until he reaches her lips. "Tell me how much you like it... how much you missed it."  
"You know how much, Owen," she taps her nails into the fine man's sweaty back. "God, this is too good... I'm going to..."  
"Do it, Teddy" he starts ramming inside her harder, making her moan against his shoulders. He grabs her gently from the waist, making the rubbing much more exciting. "Cum for me."

Sooner or later he felt the blonde squirm with pleasure in a high-pitched moan of pure ecstasy, throwing off her flows and staining the same man inside her with them. The contraction, and the exquisite moaning of the blonde, made Hunt not hold out much longer, grunting softly as he kissed her collarbone. Those details that never went out of fashion in them; intimate kisses, panting and pleading. It was a flame that not even the most powerful torrent of water could extinguish.

"Teddy, oh god..." he exclaims against her, pressing her more against him as he makes his last onslaught. "I'm going to... Teddy, fuck..."  
"Cum inside me, Owen... harder." 

He couldn't talk anymore. A hard charge resounded throughout the closet, and it was the impact against the wall next to the hard knock on her uterus that made her let out one last moan next to Owen. He began to come inside her, filling her with his release until their bodies began to relax.

Eventually the ginger came out of her, letting go and watching the sweat from his ex-fiancee's body. She did the same with him, as she took the uniform to begin dressing. She couldn't help but lick her lips, feeling pleased with the very calculating and perfect decision she had made; an outburst of revenge sex. One that she had been looking for for a long time, but that only one event was enough to make it come true.

"That was... amazing, Teddy," Owen says, putting on his clothes until they were as good as new. "You've cleared up my doubts," he laughed at the end.  
Teddy looked at him hesitantly, unable to stop himself from laughing.  
"Your doubts?"  
"About how things were going with your..." coughs, a little sarcastic "Boyfriend, or whatever."  
"From today you can stop considering him as my boyfriend. I've had enough of him, and more with what he did today..." she let the last one slip out, covering her mouth a little surprised. But she hid it as long as she could, embarrassed.  
"What exactly did he do today?" Hunt asked, approaching the door to remove the latch and start opening it.  
"Just lies" the blonde concluded. "Lies, and more lies... Go to work, Owen. And..."  
She was no closer to walking out the door without saying anything else, but in Teddy's brief pause, he turned his face with a captivating smile.  
"So what?"  
"Thank you, Owen."

He closed the door behind him. She would come out five minutes later to try to make him look less suspicious... but something was beginning to twist inside her.  
What if someone realized what she'd done, and ran with the gossip to Tom's office right away? Who the hell was Alicia? What morality would she be complaining to her boyfriend about, if she'd hooked up with her ex-fiancé five minutes later when she found out?

There was the guilt again... the shame attacking her. As much fun as she had at the time, how much fun she had in Owen Hunt's arms. That didn't matter now, she felt like a wretch to do that to the man she had as a boyfriend. And even more so to Owen... what would Owen think if he knew she had "revenge sex" with him?  
Owen wouldn't care if she really wanted him more than her boyfriend and was tired to hide it; he would only care about the context in which he was used. That was it, he was going to feel used by Teddy. She didn't want that... she didn't want to hurt the person she loved most in the world again. Not again, not again.  
Her breathing began to alter, and without realizing it, her eyes were filled with uncontrollable tears; which seconds later flowed down her cheeks. His eyes were blurred, and her heart was pounding against her chest.  
Once, as many times before, her thoughts passed from one place to another draining her completely within, beginning to make her feel anxious.

"What did I do?" she screams to herself, holding back the urge to throw away all the stuff in the closet and make a mess, one that would match the one she had in her mind. "What the hell did I do?"

The sadness and pain in her chest was incomparable, why did she always have to feel this way when she was doing something for herself? She couldn't stand it.  
Arming herself with enough courage, she came out of the supply closet having spent the necessary minutes in there. 

Moments later, she found young Casey in one of the locker rooms. He couldn't help but smile at her and went straight to embrace her with great enthusiasm, detailing the tension in her body and the vibration of sadness she was hiding under her mask of emotions.

"Major Altman, how are you?" Parker asked, and she handed him the clothes at once, for which he thanked her with a smiling gesture. "Thank you for this."  
"I am... Well, I guess so," she sighed, sitting on a bench. "A lot has happened in the last 24 hours, and I wonder if the rest of my life will be like this, you know? I don't want to go on like this... I don't know if I can go on like this anymore."

He took a seat next to her, taking advantage of the loneliness of the place as the rest of his team had left to begin their shift.

"Is it because of Mr. Koracick?"  
"Yes... he makes everything very complicated," the blonde confessed. "Everything is complicated, I am... I can't do it anymore, Casey, I can't."

She began to cry uncontrollably on the lieutenant's shoulders. He, being the first time he saw his captain in that way, took her in his arms to give her a friendly hug; the one that perhaps Altman had been needing for a long time, and nobody had given it to her.

"Major Altman, everything is going to get better..." he mutters "I promise you, but I need you to promise me something, could you?"  
She tried to stop crying, ending the hug to wipe her tear-filled cheeks. She nodded briefly, sure of her answer.  
"Yes, of course."  
"Get the professional help you need, Teddy," he called her by name for the first time in so long. "You've dealt with so much over the years that you haven't given yourself a chance to think about how well a therapist would help you... and get the rest you deserve."

The older one was slowly beginning to question everything. Judging by Casey's look, he was really worried about her; you could even say more than Owen Hunt himself. And it was to be expected, Casey knew a lot of details that no one else in the hospital knew.  
With a heavy sigh, Teddy nodded.

"And what should I do with Tom?" she asked in a whispered voice.  
"It's over, Teddy" Casey declared, taking her by the shoulders. "It's time for you to go your own way alone. You don't need him, or anyone else. Get the help you need, and I promise you that time will make up for everything. You are a good lady."

She broke into tears again, but this time was accompanied by a laugh, hugging the lieutenant again, grateful as never before; to him.

"Oh, Casey," she whispers, hugging him tightly. "Thanks a lot, I'll try..."  
"No, no, don't say that" he took the time to correct her. "Don't say you'll try. Say you're going to do it instead."  
"Is there a difference?"  
"A big one, Teddy," he said at the end.

Later in her house, she was in the kitchen. She had only one pair of pajamas on and was ready for bed, but not before preparing some delicious pancakes for her and perhaps giving her daughter a few crumbs to try.  
The day had gone... Well, if it hadn't been for Casey's messages, it would have ended badly. But he rescued her, and gave her the urge to go on; all she needed was to get Tom out of her life for good, that was the first step, and the rest would come on its own.  
She felt some keys fall on the table, and a door close. Possibly it was him arriving, accompanied by the most demanding silence until he reached the kitchen with a look of inspection.

"Good night, Teddy" he says in a gentle, hypocritical tone of voice. He starts walking up to her, grabbing her by the waist as he cooks, and tries to steal a kiss on her cheek. Teddy slips out of his grip, looking at him uncomfortably.  
"Touch me again and I'll put the frying pan on your face."  
Panting, shocked to death, he takes a few steps backwards with his hands raised.  
"You know, I'm more and more sure... that it's all your fault."  
Laughing ironically, Teddy turns around, having lowered the fire so her pancakes wouldn't burn.  
"What exactly is my fault?"  
He coughs, then smiles wickedly.  
"That nothing in this house is the same... our relationship has become a failure. We don't talk, we don't have fun, we don't fuck, and we don't watch a movie. So... take it. These are the results, of your actions." Koracick concludes once again, giving himself up as victorious. "And it's all your fault, baby.”

The word went up the bile in his throat. She restrained herself from throwing a punch; having remembered where she last heard that word: "I will surely see her at night, at home... but not here. Come on, one more time, baby."  
Straightening her back and cautiously approaching the man to wrap her hands around his tie, she begins to speak.

"Is it my fault?" she asks, approaching the older man's mouth. Koracick, responding to her instincts, cannot stand the pressure. "Is it all my fault, Tommy?"

The man nods, then denies... gasping against her mouth, holding back the urge to caress her. The lethal, sophisticated Theodora moves closer to his lips, bringing a hand to the man's crotch, caressing him.

"How can I make it up to you?"  
Tom licked his lips, and she began to discreetly unzip him.  
"You know exactly how..."  
Teddy nodded, moaning against his mouth to start stimulating him over his pants, feeling how hard he was getting with the touch of her light hands. But deep down, she was holding back the urge to vomit at her own game; yet she continued to caress, playfully.  
"Am I doing it right, love?" she said once more. Koracick couldn't take much more, his dick throbbing under the dark material of his pants.  
"Yes, Teddy..." he muttered, submissive. "Please continue... You are doing so well..."  
"As well as Alicia?"

The question that stopped everything. Tom opened his eyes wide, bewildered and stammering. Teddy took a few steps away, with a malevolent, angry smile on her face; but he didn't understand anything about what was happening.  
"What?"  
Suddenly, Tom squirmed on the floor in pain. Teddy had kicked him in the crotch, right in the testes, making the man kneel down screaming like a hurting puppy.

"You miserable bitch, what have you done?" the man exclaimed, holding his afflicted area.  
"I hope you liked the caress, it's the last thing you're going to get from me. Go find Alicia."  
"I'm going to sue you..."  
"For a groin hit?" Teddy asks, with a tone of irony and bitterness. "Do it. This is my last night here anyway..."

The chief of staff begins to get up, with a raised eyebrow as his pain subsides. He shook his head, laughing maliciously.  
"One more night?" he asks. "No, Teddy... not even close."  
Altman crossed her arms, questioning.  
"What do you mean?"  
"The papers say this house is mine," he clarifies, keeping his position firm. "You're leaving today, now. You have one hour. Pick up your trash, you ungrateful barbie. Your time is up."


	9. True Colors

Theodora was static at the sentence of the man in front of her. It was as if her bones had been frozen by a gunshot. She thought she had the dog tamed, but nothing was further from the truth. Tom had dragged her across the floor with a simple statement. She had nothing planned, nothing to go on, and it was as if she had been knocked down with a wrecking ball.

She had bought the house with Koracick months ago, and she remembered the brightest days of their relationship... but he was right. According to the papers, the house was entirely his. From the entrance carpet, to the fireplace. Everything in that place was his; except for the things Teddy had bought...

She was thinking about where the hell she would stay tonight, what the hell she would do now. The relationship was over, of course. But it ended in the worst possible way. 

"I'm fine, everything's fine..." she kept repeating herself in her head with her eyes closed, about to break down and hit bottom. "I'm fine... I can handle it."

Tom Koracick was still there in front of her, with an expectant look and his arms crossed at chest level. It was that helpless look that said: you owe me something, you'll give me something.   
But in their middle there was nothing; nothing but a sad, bitter and irretrievable damage. He had been hurt, but in the ego... yet the poor woman had been hurt in every possible way: ignored, manipulated, blamed and cheated. There was only ashes flying between the meters that both shared.

"Are you going to stay there, Teddy?" Tom asked invasively. "The time is running... hurry up."

She was so hurt, she was so hurt... tired. Hurt and tired of feeling those things he was inflicting on her, but most of all disappointed that a fairy tale ended up like this. What could have been a wonderful love story ended up being just a game.

"You didn't just manipulate me... you didn't just ignore me when I wanted to share my feelings with you..." the blonde begins to speak, with a certainly fragile tone of voice. "The things that bothered me, the things that scared me about being a mom... but you also cheated on me, and now you're making me homeless."  
"Teddy, don't start..."  
"No, Tom, please shut the fuck up" she demands. "I'm hurt, you know? Because I thought you were very nice at first.Because I thought my ex-fiancé was an asshole, and I refused to go back to him because of something so stupid" she blames herself, hammering her fist against her chest. "To be with you."

There were no words. Koracick simply nodded, with a very glassy, nondescript look.

"It was your best option, Theodora" he calls her by that name, and she feels her bones shaking. "He didn't want you, you were his consolation prize."  
Altman raises her finger, pointing at him in anger.

"Don't call me that again in your miserable life, ever," she shouts, coming a few steps closer. "And don't talk about us when you don't know our story..."  
"You know what? That's right, I don't know your story" Tom comes a few more steps closer, wanting to intimidate her. "And I don't care either. Pack your shit, Teddy. Do it now, or I'll throw it all out the window."

Teddy begins to walk away on the way to the room, looking for her daughter and ready to pack her things. But a thought invades her mind, and she turns around to get him out of her way.

"You know, Tom?" she mentions his name with bitterness. "I hope you... will be happy. Right now, I'm hurting. But I know that in my father's name I will rise; I am a warrior for a reason. Now, you..." pauses for a moment, thoughtfully. "I hope you run with the same luck, and become better as a human being. Because this way..." she points to him from head to toe, and ends up giggling. "You will never make anyone happy, not even yourself. You'll be a bitter old man your whole life, and that's very... sad."

Finally, without receiving a single word, she turns around...  
"Time to pack up."

A couple of minutes later, her bags were full and her room was almost empty. It was the only part of the house that was full of her things; clothes, perfumes, small decorations and everything related to her daughter.  
Allison was groping in the baby carrier, and her mother was watching her from the corner of the room.

"We deserve more, little one..." she whispers, reaching out to take her in her arms. "And we're going to get it. It all looks very hard now, but I promise to do everything in my power to... give you the life you deserve. I love you, sweetheart."

There was no answer, no more than simple sounds and rubbing. Little Allison was clinging to her mother, shaking her little head on the woman's chest in search of comfort and sleep. It was late, very late. Teddy had in mind which hotel she could go to now... but there was one place she could visit, indeed.

She left it in the baby carrier again, taking that and holding the suitcase. Her bones were hurting so badly that she had to bear it, but she would do this on her own. Tom was not going to help her, but she wouldn't want him to either, that would be the most cynical and gross of acts. She carried everything into her car, setting it up perfectly until the last thing she put in was the little girl strapped in the back. She shut the door, walking to where she was supposed to... there was a long way to go, and she knew where she was going.

"Teddy!" a loud voice was heard in the distance. Altman turned just in time, looking at the lost man at the door. It was Tom, screaming her name. He began to approach, as she opened the driver's door. "Teddy..." was now closer, this time in front of the car.  
"What do you want?"  
"Forgive me, Teddy... I shouldn't have..." he started talking, shaking. His fingers showed how nervous he was, and she looked at him in confusion as he followed his speech. "I shouldn't have done this to you, cheated on you... or done everything I did to you. Teddy, please don't go... I don't want to be..."  
"Alone?" is all she asks. The door was open, and she was seconds away from getting in. Koracick merely nodded.

The noise of the night, the crickets and the coldness of the street... smelled like new adventure. Teddy, even as she grieved at the bottom of her broken heart, she knew she would recover... she had to.   
Get the help she deserved, just as her friend Casey advised. All that she would do. She wouldn't look back in time anymore.  
Taking a piece of her heart, she spat it straight out of her mouth in shooting words.

"You'll feel exactly as I have felt all this time, Tom," she said confidently, tucking her shiny hair behind her shoulders. "And don't feel bad about cheating on me..."  
"Sorry, what?" Tom was confused; after having her screaming and almost crying in his kitchen, having kicked him in the crotch for knowing about the affair... now she was saying that. 

Theodora smiled maliciously, getting into the car to start it.

"I did it too in the end," she confessed. "But I did it with someone I love... so, I don't regret it. Good night."

Tom's eyes were glazed over, wide open like fried eggs. He was like her at the beginning of being thrown out of his house; static in front of the car. Teddy just turned it on, making the engine roar and stepping on the accelerator.  
She shut the door, securing everything for the journey... while he was just walking to the sidewalk.

It was all done. And the road, her destination, was secured for good...

"Goodbye to us."

And she started off, skidding the wheels on the road.


	10. Watch Me Burn

The streets were empty late at night, it was as if they had given away the whole night to the two women in the car. Little Allison was asleep in the baby carrier, and that made the trip to where she was going much easier. 

Parking on the sidewalk, she noticed how the family home she always remembered in her dreams was alive as always. The lights on the porch were on, and as far as she could see, so were the lights in the kitchen.

Teddy got out of the car empty-handed, starting to look for his daughter and take her down with him. She left the car locked and went straight to the front door, looking for an answer... just waiting to be received. It had been an exhaustive day. A crazy day. No one who lived a completely normal life would know what it was like to have a life like Teddy Altman's; the abnormality of events in her life was like the adrenaline rush of a roller coaster.

The woman knocked on the door three times, and as soon as she did... it opened. And she ran into something that took her by surprise. The man she was waiting for wasn't at the door; rather beautiful blue eyes and a friendly smile. But she wasn't captivated by that, rather... she was extremely confused. Amelia?

"Hi, Teddy!" she speaks with much emotion and sweetness, opening the door completely. No one else could see inside, but just seeing Shepherd under the threshold was enough...  
"I'm sorry, I don't think I came in a... the right time."  
"He took her hand and gently pulled her in. That trust and brotherhood caused Teddy's intrusive thoughts to dissipate; it wasn't when he saw everything in the room that he reacted.

There were many people in the hospital. Atticus, Meredith, Maggie and Alex sitting on the couch... while on the other hand there was Jackson and Josephine the popcorn. There was something interesting about that night; that's when she wondered how many nights like that she had missed out on as a struggling mother and manipulated girlfriend, locked up in the cave.

"Teddy, what a surprise!" Meredith exclaims in surprise, her hair was blond and straight as always. Those dimples marked a beautiful smile that would drive any man crazy.  
Maggie got up from the sofa to walk towards her. She was wearing a beautiful black dress and very high heels. She was such a breathtaking beauty.  
"Look at my buddy, how beautiful you are!" Maggie spilled out, grabbing her by the shoulders to hold her tightly.  
"Maggie, look at you... you are gorgeous" Teddy responds, returning the hug with a tender smile. "What a pleasure to see you all here! I didn't know there was anything... special going on."  
"You've missed a lot these past few months, Teddy" Avery drops from a corner, he was whispering with Josephine. "It's good to see you again."  
"I know" is all Teddy can say; it was true, it was very sad but true. 

She had missed a lot in the last few months after getting into an official relationship with Tom. It was now that she wished that had never happened...

"Teddy?" a masculine and extravagant voice asks from above. Owen. The redheaded, charming, fancy man was walking down the stairs, step by step. His smile was bigger than all of them, and she could see his happiness when he saw her... even more so with his daughter. "What a joy to see you, and Allison..."

He took a few steps closer to her, taking the little girl in his arms while she was still sleeping. He didn't stop looking at Teddy, although everyone was getting back to their business: having a few glasses of wine, gossiping and watching baseball games.   
"What are they celebrating, or who?" Altman asks, showing her funny curiosity. The older man laughed as he watched her.  
"Nothing, just a casual night... We'll go to the bar in a few minutes, so you' re just in time.  
"Oh, no," she complained silently. She wouldn't do it, she didn't want to go out to any bar... she wasn't ready. In mind she just had to rest, and keep on recovering. "I'm so sorry, Owen. I cannot go... I was coming to..."  
"What for, Teddy? Is everything all right?" Hunt formulates with affection, looking at little Allison and caressing her cheeks with his thumb.  
"Nothing, just... I broke up with Tom."

It had been like ice breaking on the floor. Suddenly everyone was looking at her, and everything had stopped. Silence had settled in the room, and the narrator of the game could hardly be heard. But the eyes were on her, especially Owen's. She couldn't decipher his gaze as concern or joy.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ruin this..." Teddy apologizes, leaving the baby carrier on the floor. "I'll leave the baby with you for a few days, Owen. I can't stay here... I'm going..."

She was about to turn around, when a steady, heavy hand grabbed her by the forearm to turn her back. Owen. The second she looked at him, it was as if the sky had merged with the stars; while everyone was looking at them.  
"Teddy, you can stay here tonight if you want" he says in a very charitable way, looking at her compassionately. "You and Allison. Please, you don't have to go."

She was unable to say no to him. She agreed to his request with a slight nod, and went to get her things; leaving the baby in the hands of Meredith, Maggie and Amelia. Someone was following her right away, and of course it was Owen. She didn't make a single attempt to detail, she just went in search of her bags. But he just did his best to interact with her, in the middle of the night and the sounds.

"Teddy, can we talk?" Hunt gently asked, helping her with a suitcase.  
"Of course we can... what's going on?" Of course he knew everything that had been cooking between the two of them, but he didn't expect an answer and a break-up so soon. He had intrusive thoughts, that Teddy had probably told Tom about the unfaithfulness. Kept hoping it wasn't so... but he wasn't aware of anything.  
"You don't want to know the truth, Owen."

That would ruin everything, Teddy thought, being between a rock and a hard place. The red-haired gentleman would feel used if he knew the truth, and she would have no choice but to let him go, having screwed everything up again between them. But everything was going well... Everything was going so well between the two of them that she didn't want to ruin it with the truth.

"I always want to know the truth, Theodora. Please."  
"You're going to be the judge of me" she speaks and pauses abruptly. "You'll think I'm a fool, and a bitch..."  
"You're not any of those things, Teddy. Come on..."  
"Tom cheated on me, Owen" Teddy lets go roughly, letting it go completely from her mind to her mouth. And now that she was letting go, she couldn't stop... "Tom cheated on me, and that's when I was pissed off later, and I got into an affair with you."

Hunt was astonished as in the military days, waiting for a command. His eyes were wide open, and his lips were slightly apart, gasping in anticipation. He was surprised, between the line of pleasantly and unpleasantly.

"You what?" only those two words came out like a whistle.  
"I cheated on him out of revenge," the blonde confesses, facing the truth.  
"You used me, Teddy?" his question and his tone was very sophisticated, Theodora knew him; or she thought she knew him, it was the side where he hid his anger behind a thin tone.  
But she was not afraid, aware that he, unlike other men, was incapable to do her any harm.

"No, Owen" she replies concisely, taking another bag. "It was what I had been wanting to do for a long time, and I did it.  
"You had wanted to cheat him for a while?" his question sounded right.  
"I had been wanting to be with you for a while, Owen Hunt!" Teddy bursts out. "But I couldn't do it. I didn't want to hurt someone I thought I loved and who I thought loved me too... He just gave me the final reason to do it. I would have done it anyway, Owen. When it comes to you, I always do."  
In the middle of the street there were only the two of them arguing. No one in the house had come out to see what was taking so long, and no car had passed by. It was just the two of them... her raising her voice hysterically, and him trying to understand. Owen's questions were like pouring water on oil, until it burst into a fire.

"Would you have done it even if he hadn't?" was his last question, as he took a few more steps with his arms crossed.  
"Yes, Owen."  
"Oh, Teddy..." he sounded relieved. The woman said nothing about it, just waiting for an angry response now that she had said it all, breaking down her walls. "I didn't think you were that reckless."

That was even closer. Theodora nodded, laughing for the first time in a genuine and happy way. The redhead was just one step away from stepping on her foot. He was in front of her, stroking a strand of her hair.

"You know me better than anyone else, Owen," she says in a suggestive way. "Better than anyone in that living room, better than anyone in the hospital..."  
"Much better than him" Owen completes, approaching her. For a couple of seconds, she thought he would kiss her. But he turned his attention to her ear, where he whispered some passionate words, full of unexpected desire. "I know your weaknesses. Does he?"   
The woman shook her head back and forth, biting her bottom lip.  
"No, he doesn't."  
"Tell me, did you like playing with him?" he asks more invasively, taking her by the shoulders to place her against the closed door. The mouth was still in her ear, and suddenly they were both as close as magnets.  
"I didn't like it with him..." the blonde confesses, lowering her hand to Hunt's belt. "Because I didn't want him to fuck me."  
"Didn't you?" The husky man asks with an ironic gesture of surprise.

In an unsolicited, rough motion, Theodora grabbed him by the shoulders to change positions, placing him against the car door and reaching into his ear to whisper morbidly.  
"I wanted you to fuck me, Owen."  
He was pressed against the door, and she was not planning to leave. She loved to overpower the male, to have him under her control, and to feel that he belonged to her... and vice versa. They were both skilled at overpowering each other to the point of going crazy.

"And why don't you ask, Teddy?"  
"Get in the car, Owen..."

She hadn't asked directly, but those words were enough to make the gentleman obey, getting into the back seat, and her getting in with him. They had forgotten the bags outside, but they couldn't care less... when they closed the doors, and she was on top of him, they had forgotten that the whole world existed.

The heat, that burning and that red-hot aura of passion and intimacy that existed between them, was getting stronger than ever. Teddy was rubbing against him, to the point that she couldn't bear the wetness, and he was getting like a rock under his pants.   
"Do it, Teddy. Do it now..."  
"What do you want?" the woman asks, undressing herself into a black bra that she also took off. Her nipples were exposed... and then her sex was too, showing how wet she was over him. Owen stammered against her mouth, holding her firmly by her hips.  
"Fuck me, Teddy. Use me this time..."

She didn't wait any longer. She unzipped his pants to bring them down to his knees, and then got rid of that annoying shirt, taking the time to stroke his collarbone, his shoulders, and his chest. She continually rubbed her wetness against the cloth of his underwear; Owen was very hard. Ready, fated to be with her.

The woman aggressively pulled down his underwear, leaving his masculinity exposed. Finally, she sat on him, starting to line up his cock against her pussy, making him slowly slide into it, and causing a pleasing sensation, to which she was wonderfully adapted.

"Shit, Teddy" he mutters against her shoulders, kissing them. "You're too wet..."  
"All for you, Owen" starts to move against him. Feeling the heat settling on both bodies as she rode him as well as ever. At one point, the length of his thick cock reached her uterus, making her moan with pleasure.   
"You like it, Teddy?" He lowers his fingers to her hips, holding her tightly to help her move. "Feel me... I want you to feel me, fuck."

She felt it perfectly. He would shake inside her, wanting to be more aggressive, and he would reach deep into her intimacy and make that exquisite sound. He would grab her by the hips and squeeze her... but she was in complete control. Theodora would aggressively move against her hips, even causing the car to bounce just like she did.  
The breaths against her mouth, and Owen's moaning only encouraged her to do more... she didn't stop moving, and slowly felt closer than normal. She was being very rough, as she needed to be.

"Teddy, if you don't stop this..." Owen spoke in moans, with his sweaty face and hands. His dick was throbbing inside her, announcing his release.  
"I need you... Owen" she whispered against his lips, riding him endlessly. She kisses him, burning like a wildfire. "I need you more than ever..."  
"Damn it, Teddy..."

The words were beyond description for the excitement they both felt, banging each other. Teddy's fingers were marked on Owen's body, as were his on his hips. It was that possessing and loving each other they had... that drove them straight to insanity.

Teddy couldn't take it anymore, reaching the climax in a high-pitched moan as she continued to ride him roughly.

"Owen, my God..." she could say no more, her mind blurred as she let herself go and her walls tightened. The man bit his shoulder halfway through the pleasure, groaning against it as he reached his uterus in the final assaults.  
"Teddy... Teddy..." saying her name was an honor for him, and for her to hear it as she came. "Take it, take it all..."

He couldn't speak any longer. In a rough thrust, he began to cum inside her, filling her womanhood with his release. He was breathless against her mouth, kissing her and taking her by the hair without wanting to stop... but the orgasm took everything away. As their bodies relaxed, they kissed themselves to a standstill.

"That was..."  
"Intense" Owen responded by caressing her hair while they both looked into each other's eyes with endless adoration; and a desire that was never satisfied. "They're probably wondering why we haven't gone in yet..."

Theodora did her best to move, though she was overheated and somewhat tired. They stood there for a couple of minutes, while they cooled down a bit... just looking at each other, contemplating and laughing.

"The wildest sex we've ever had?" she asked.  
"Well it definitely goes to the list..." Owen replies with a naughty smile, and between laughs of pure comedy, she just gives him a gentle push.  
"Owen!"


	11. I Will Survive

Both stayed in the middle of the street for a few more minutes, refreshing themselves and trying to make everything as natural as possible when they crossed the door. Rumors would be spreading in the hospital corridors the next day, or so it was assumed because there were interns at the small meeting, but at best; everything would stay as usual.

Theodora was calm, more than expected. Perhaps it had been the passionate and exhilarating moment that the two lovers had experienced in the car? Or maybe it was quite simply not having the look of her boyfriend (now ex) on her anymore. It was a foreign sensation, there were not even words to describe it. But surely it existed, there was a word for it.

"Months ago, I had been so wrapped up in him... you know" the story continues as the gentleman just listened, looking at her. They were both laying on the green porch, watching the stars as they told each other the things they had missed in the last few months. "I was so involved that I forgot about myself, what it was like to put myself first... as I had done on before. I thought I had learned. But now, looking at it from a different angle, I was with him simply for fear of being alone again. He took away that loneliness, and made it all his own..."

Owen tilted his head, looking at her with an expression full of doubts and questions. But the very thought of not wanting to invade her was haunting him, so he went gently. He asked only one question, in a soft tone of voice, and looked up at the clouds.

"What do you mean by loneliness?"  
A sigh was heard, holding hands with the singing of the crickets in the forest not far away.

"I've been alone a huge part of my life, Owen," she explains, holding her broken heart in her hands for a minute. "Alone. I lost my parents, and I thought I could fill that hole in my life... but I never did. I don't know how I've accomplished so much in life, Owen."

"Teddy, can't you see it?" That question was like a necessary shake in the shoulders. Theodora tilted her head to look at him not knowing what to ask, and not until she decided to ask what he meant, he interrupted her right there to keep on talking. "Teddy, you are incredibly strong and capable. It's time for you to recognize that. You've lost so much in life, but you've never stopped fighting..."

The words were like a caress to the broken heart, maybe they weren't enough to completely heal it, because that would take a lot of therapy and recovery; but they were enough to make Teddy see that she was never alone. There were so many things she needed to understand and fix inside her, and she knew that with the support of her loved ones... but most of all, the support of her man, was enough.  
A tear ran down her cheek, reaching her chin. That's when she undoes it with her thumb, and she can't resist a genuine smile filled with love and gratitude.

"I feel like I'm finally starting to realize what I'm worth, Owen. What I've been missing all my life, and what I've completely missed out on by being with him..." she mentions the pronoun with some bitterness, but she doesn't stop smiling at the ginger guy at her side.   
"I hope you just keep getting better and better Teddy," Owen muttered, getting up from the grass to take off whatever was in his jacket. He helped the woman to stand up too, and they went to get the bags.  
"Everything gets better, sooner or later."

"No, you didn't—— Oh my god!" 

Maggie's skeptical voice echoed across the room, and she burst out laughing in a contagious way that no one could help but join her in what Teddy was telling; she was telling the stories of the past week with a glass of wine in her hand.  
"I did it!" Theodora spoke enthusiastically, a little happy given the effect of the wine, but above all happy in her heart that this nightmare about fake happiness and false luxuries was over, thanks to her.  
"In the balls? That must have hurt" Jackson couldn't help but step in with an uncomfortable smile as he nervously interlaced his hand with Maggie's.  
"I think it did hurt. But there are no regrets here," said the blonde, adjusting her hair to put the wine glass in the center of the table as she watched them all.  
"For some reason, I never liked him" Jackson spoke again, with no regrets and no desire to twist.  
"Maybe because he screwed your mother?" 

Maggie lets it out, and everyone bursts out in laughter. At this point even Jackson wasn't mad, he could blush for a second, but it didn't take long for him to join the chorus of laughs and knee slaps. It was such a pleasant and fun atmosphere, that Theodora didn't think she would be able to enjoy it for a long time; but there she was, telling stories to amuse herself. Outstanding as ever.

"But now... getting serious, Teddy" Amelia asks, bubbly with curiosity. "You know you can count on us, right? Look, Teddy... you and I have had our differences, but you are conscious of how far we have come. You know that if you need something..."  
" I can count on you, Amelia" Teddy catches her in the middle of the sentence, and a beautiful smile comes back to her. She had never thought they could be friends, but they had been for months; and if it weren't for her at first, Teddy wouldn't have been aware of how that man was manipulating her to the bones.  
"And with all of us!" Meredith cries out in disgust, and then laughs to complain... probably under the effects of the glass of wine. "Tell me who gave you mommy tips at first! And love tips too!"

Everyone whispered between little laughs, and Theodora couldn't help but blush and then set her eyes on the huge Owen. The gentleman was at the kitchen door, laughing as he watched the whole comic scene in his living room.

"You... you. Thank you, Meredith" the blonde mused fondly. Meredith just nodded and waved a kiss in the air. " You guys are... just incredible," she says, pointing to the whole group with her glass of wine, smiling at the edge of her tears. "Thank you for making me feel supported, and loved..."

Three people surrounded her right then and there, giving her a bear hug that cured all her ills. Now there were four drunken girls giggling: Teddy, Meredith, Maggie and Amelia, while many affectionate things were whispered and the audience watched.

"Look at the winoes!" someone shouted, and suddenly everyone was bursting out laughing again. The night went on like this... until the end.

Something in her face was on fire, so much so that no matter how much she put her hand on her face she could not escape the impression. She opened her eyes, and had to close them again, surprised by the light coming through the window...

Where was she? She ran her fingers across the unfamiliar blanket, and looked at the curtains in detail without being able to remember... then one arm was placed on top of her. A white, toned, burning arm. His hand was wrapped around her waist, clinging to the opposing body... and then she heard those sweet words in the morning.

"Good morning, sweetheart" was Owen. She turned to look at him face to face, and just then they connected. Teddy gave him a soft kiss on the lips, not knowing quite what she was doing, or where she was in the early morning... she just let herself be carried away by the embracing feeling.  
"Good morning, Owen" said softly, running her fingers up the man's neck until they reached his jaw to caress him. "Where are we?"  
"In my house, Teddy," he couldn't help but laugh a little, without nervousness. "We had a lot to drink last night, and the easiest thing was for you to stay here. Don't worry... everyone was too drunk to notice that you stayed here, so..."

Now she remembered a little of everything, like a cassette on rewind. The four girls laughing at each other, spanking each other and running around the room... a glass of wine had crashed on the floor, someone had vomited in the bathroom. It had been a great evening. The memories were coming back to her, but she was not in a hurry to look for them.  
She just held on to it, sinking her nose into his neck as he caressed her.

"I want to stay here forever..."  
"You know you can do it, Teddy" he soon confessed, leaving the door open to the possibilities. "I'll be there when you are."  
"Yes, but I think it's better if..."

A phone began to buzz; it was hers all over the nightstand. There was a glass of natural water, and a headache pill (probably a detail) from Owen. Before focusing on them, she picked up the phone, looking at some incoming messages... they were from Tom.

9:00 AM → Teddy, I swear that if you don't come back... I'm going to go crazy.  
9:01 AM → Where the hell are you?  
9:01 AM → I miss you...

Annoyed, the woman smashed her cell phone into the nightstand again. She took the glass of water next to the tablet, and went back to bed again... but this time, the redhead was coming to her lips.

"Who's bothering you?"  
"Nobody special" Teddy replied, stroking the man's hair. "Don't worry..."  
"I don't worry... we have more important things to do."  
"Like what?" she asks.

Suddenly, she felt a finger rise up her thighs, until it sank into the wetness in her vagina. Owen exhaled against her mouth, kissing her lower lip with a contagious, burning smile.

"'Giving you the pleasure you need, lady."


	12. All Falls Down

Between moans and panting the woman pulled up the sheets using her hands. She moved her legs slightly, feeling Owen's fingers wet from playing in her womanhood. He had made her come once, and he didn't hesitate to make her come again. As much as Theodora resisted and retained the climax, she couldn't, it was impossible when a man as skilled as hers played between her legs.

"Are you ready for one more time?" Owen asked in an extremely lewd tone, crawling between her legs as she held on to his strong arms.  
Teddy nodded with a satisfied smile, showing her sweaty face as she breathed heavily.  
"I'm always ready for you," she muttered, bringing her hands to the gentleman's reddish neck.

In a matter of seconds and loud breaths, she felt Owen come into her with a rough, crude thrust. It was nice, for once in a couple of hours, to feel it again... when they were together, they had a habit of being very close. It was that moment of the perfect connection; where no one and nothing was better understood than their bodies in a sensual rhythm to pleasure.  
Again he slammed into her, and his delicate hands went straight to Hunt's scratchy beard, caressing it from start to finish, reaching his ears.

"I love you, Owen" she lets out spontaneously, looking into his eyes as she appreciates how the ferrous masculinity reaches the depths of her wetness. "God, I haven't felt this way in so long..."

But Owen's tongue was dirty, more so than any man's, and as he grabbed her thighs to push harder against the beautiful lady's womb, he kept releasing morbid words.

"Feeling how, my love?" he asked her with a sneaky, sexy smile, giving her a strong push that made her whine with pleasure and squeeze the sheets once more. " Mine? So well fucked as you deserve?" he laughs at her mouth, kissing her chin insistently. "Because I will fuck you every time you ask me, my lady..."

Teddy had time without feeling well loved. That involved so many features and complexities: well treated, pleased in the privacy, and free above all things.Owen Hunt was the only being capable of making her feel this way whenever he was with her; with and without clothes, he was the only man capable of making her happy just by smiling at her. From the days in Iraq, to the last day of her life.

He would not stop hitting on her, and at one point, because of the rough morning sex they were having, Theodora would not last much longer than she was intended to. She squeezed his hands, this time on the ginger's waist, while moaning and letting herself go; this did not prevent him from anything, in fact. Owen took the strongest stabs in her uterus, making her moan in ecstasy and bringing her to orgasm between drops of sweat and the shaking boards of the bed.

"Owen... Owen! I'm coming!" the woman said between moans. Her gaze became sweet and burning at the same time, with her eyes completely on others.  
"I love you, Teddy" Hunt muttered, kissing the fingers of her hand as he stabbed her, until he felt that torrent of pleasure in his abdomen... "Shit, Teddy... God..."

Both exploded in a wave of invincible pleasure. Owen left his seed inside her, to the last drop, and she stained everything in front of her with her vaginal flows. In a final gasp against her mouth, Teddy whispered, caressing him.  
"We are inevitable."

The rest of the day went as planned. They had to pick up a few snacks or things on the table, drinks and stuff. They had previously agreed with Bailey to give them a day off, on the condition that they would work twice as hard because they had lost that day's hangover.   
Allison was wide awake, settled in the baby carrier with the huge TV many feet away from her, showing her cartoons that entertained her so much in the mornings. It wasn't a fairy tale, it was just as Teddy had explained, the cartoons completely doped her daughter. She had been a Polly and the ZhuZhu Pets lover since she was born!

"You didn't tell me she liked TV so much..." Owen was talking, as he stuffed the snack bags into a huge black bag. Theodora, on one hand, was taking the glasses on a platter and carrying them into the kitchen as the expert and qualified waitress herself.   
"She loves it! It entertains her a lot, especially if it's Polly or Paw Patrol!"

When she said that, she began to put each glass in the dishwasher with extreme care. She noticed that the gentleman was watching her, but she wasn't going to turn around to see if he was smiling or looking funny.

"And you've become an expert on children's cartoons too, apparently..." he said, in a funny, amusing tone. "Things have changed a lot in the last few months.  
"Oh, you don't say!" Teddy replied ironically, turning around to help him with the huge black bag. "But yes... I quite like them, in fact, on the best days there in our old house, I used to see them with her. They entertained me a lot."

A small, fragile, compassionate look came into Owen's eyes, as he left the bag on the table to put both hands on the blonde's shoulders.  
"And in the worst?" he asked quietly, not wanting to upset her.  
"In the worst... Teddy sighs, not knowing what to say. "In the worst, I just slept, waiting for my nightmare to end."  
"Teddy, it's over" the man's voice was soft and reassuring. "It's over, and you're safe now... you have a home..."  
"Owen, there's something I need to tell you..."  
"Of course."

He looked odd, possibly anxious and afraid of what she might say. Teddy, on the other hand, wasn't too happy with what she was going to say either; but if she thought about it deeply, it was the best option she had in her hands, and in the end it would turn out to be the best thing for both of them, or all three of them, including her baby girl.  
They both took a seat on the couch, and she sat right next to them in considerable proximity, wanting to be heard.

"Look..." she begins. "These months have been shaky for us, haven't they?" Hunt nodded, not quite sure where the conversation was headed, but sighed patiently. "My insecurities and my nonsense ruined our relationship... so I went with someone who only made me feel good for a month. I was trapped..." the word was almost vomited out of her mouth, with disgust. Because that's exactly how she had felt for that couple of months. "Trapped, and I thought it was normal to have a relationship like that... but I saw my relationship with you in the past, and we were never like that. You never humiliated me, or made me feel guilty. Sure we had our arguments but..." she sighs, holding the redhead's hands tightly. "We never stopped loving each other, or trying to make our relationship as healthy as we could..." from one minute to the next, she realized that she was almost sobbing, without having finished talking. Owen waited patiently for the end of the sentence. "The thing is... I feel like I need to heal, Owen. Everything I've experienced. Everything I suffered in those months, and even before... I'm sure I'm strong and capable, but I need to do all of this on my own."

Hunt's gaze had become both worried and... hurt. The tears in Teddy's eyes had been passed on to the opposites, and when they both realized it, they were crying, holding hands, in front of the fire in the middle of the lighted room.  
"Are you going to leave me again, Teddy?" His voice was sad, broken and rotten. Theodora felt as if she had twisted an ankle, but it was only her soul aching from the infliction of unnecessary pain on her man.  
"No!" she whispered close to him, approaching his mouth. "Never... never, Owen. But this..." takes a deep breath, before she speaks again. "This I can only do by myself. You have helped me, you and our friends... but I need to finish helping myself."  
"And when you're ready what, Teddy?" he asks again, letting go of the blonde's hands. "Are you going to be with another man, far away from here, far away from me?"

Theodora stood up, waving her arms and denying exasperated. "God, I've ruined it... we were fine..." were the thoughts that ran through her mind, as fast as a nightsider.  
"I don't know, Owen."  
"You don't know..." he mutters, getting up to walk away from her. The blonde takes his arm. "I don't know, Owen. Because life is uncertain, fate is unpredictable... but I..."  
"You what, Teddy?" Hunt challenged her, upset this time, and when she turned to look him in the eye, she was only inches away from his face.  
"I always come back to you."

The brief, quietly whispered words were strokes on the smooth skin of a puppy. Owen softened his face, his look and his tight lips; even looking at her, now with eyes of pure sadness. He had lost the love of his life once, he was afraid to lose it again... Teddy could read that within his mystical eyes.

"I'm just scared, Teddy..." says Owen, close to her face also now closing his eyes. "Fear that we can't survive one more time... and be together like this. This last week I have been happier than in the last few months..." he began to tear up again, unintentionally. Nobody knew Owen in his most sensitive version, that was only her... like when he talked about his father, or talked about his past and his failed relationships. That only she had seen, not counting the therapist previously... that man had helped Owen so much.

Teddy, with no response and not daring to do more, just stroked his cheeks with a sweet, reassuring look. She wiped away the tears with her thumbs, and did the same with the man in front of her, and then mumbled against his lips.  
"We are inevitable, Owen," she says divinely, brushing her lips to kiss him. "We survived war and tempest together... we can handle this, please. It will only be for a while..."  
"And where will you go?" the redhead asked, sounding quieter.  
"I already have somewhere to go, don't worry about it. I'll be fine" Teddy whispered, feeling the situation settle down. "We'll be fine."  
Just when they were having their moment, something blew up. It was the window glass that overlooked the porch.   
It was coming inside, in a storming burst of glass that was as lethal as the bullet she had heard coming through the room. She didn't know what the hell was going on, she had lost track of time and was consumed with fright. In the midst of her unsuspecting scream, someone on the outside shouted.

"If you won't be with me, you'll always be alone!"

"Owen, look out!"  
Another shot was heard. And Teddy, in a brave unexpected twist, grabbed Owen by the arms and threw him to the floor; which had worked.  
But sooner or later she felt it; the blood rushed between her fingers as she covered her abdomen with both hands in unspeakable, unbearable pain. The face of Theodora was agonic, sorrowful, frightened... she had never felt this physical distress, as if she were on the verge of death.  
The last thing she felt was how she collapsed on the ground, sinking into the pool of blood that was now beginning to appear, and fell on top of the many crystals that were now incrusted in her skin, making her scream once more before everything vanished. 

"Teddy!" It was the voice of her beloved, shouting her name with greater force than he had ever used before, charged with pure suffering and tears.

But from then on she felt no more... no more than a huge void in which she was consumed, falling into a deep sleep that seemed almost endless.


	13. Worship You On My Sleep (Pt. 1)

There was too much noise. So much noise that she felt like her head could burst at any moment. She heard shouting, sirens and horns honking, and desperate whispers. Still, she didn't open her eyes. She was in a deep dream, which made her feel as comfortable as reality itself.

Surrounded by sea and sand. A beautiful, long persian rug was stretching out, leading her to someone unknown. But after every step she took, the less unknown it was... The tall, brunette man was standing in front of her, dressed in full white, barefoot. He was wearing a glass necklace tied around his neck, dazzling the place with his ruby color. That was her dad. 

Theodora, so impressed after so long absence, stood there paralyzed. Suddenly, he placed his hands on her shoulders, and in the shock, she realized that she was dressed exactly the same. All white. White that represented purity of the souls, celebration of life and eternity.

"You are here, my sweet girl. I thought you would never come..." the hand rose directly to the cheeks of the blonde, who was silent. She couldn't tell if that was her reality, or just a dream.  
"What am I doing here?"  
"Something brought you here... and that makes me happy," says Mr. Grace, "You know, your mother told me a few times that this would never happen... but it had to happen one day. I had to see you again, daughter."

It all seemed so fantastic. Teddy just nodded in agreement to see his father's face after all these years, the grumpy, charismatic Lucas Grace.

"I didn't think I'd see you again either, Dad," she muttered, and as soon as she waited, she was crying with dissimulation and joy. "I saw you in my dreams for the first few months of your passing, and then Mom...but eventually I made my life and moved on. Now I am here..."

The wind lifted her golden hair, and made the atmosphere even more comfortable to be in. It felt almost like a family trip, except that nowhere seemed to be the Altmans' old jeep. But the more she looked around, the more she realized she was on the beach where her parents had married when she was a sweet girl.

"Do you remember this place, dear?"   
Luke asked, pointing to the waves of the sea crashing against each other. It was such a peaceful place, that she had no doubt why her father had chosen it to get married. "Because I remember it every day. It was the happiest day of my earthly life. I had everything here... my family, my friends, and the whiskey." Teddy laughed, his father's alcoholic comments were never out of place. "... But most of all, a beautiful wife who made me the luckiest father. And she gave me the most beautiful gift in my life: you."

She missed him, she missed him so much. And every word weighed more heavily on her heart like a building block; these were the words, charged with a deep and lifelike feeling. Absolutely everything that came from Lucas Grace was purity, truthfulness and devotion to his daughter. That was more than obvious... and among mixed feelings with nostalgia, and the love that never died over the years, she held on to him in an embrace that he never gave her before.

"You don't know..." Teddy begins to cry, given to the blue that ran down his face. "You don't know how much I've missed you, Dad. How much I miss your tips, and your talks... your jokes... I've felt so alone in the last few years, in the last few months... and I missed you."  
"No, Teddy..." he called her by her nickname. "You don't need me, or anyone else... and you've proven it. I've been there, baby girl. All the time. In your ups and downs, in your laughs and sobs, I've been with you. I've seen how after you fall, you get up and take over the world..."  
"That's not true" the blonde denied between laughter and blush.  
"It is, Teddy" he contradicted her, taking her by the shoulders with a simple smile. "It is... You've had to fight a thousand battles in life, and you're still there. Teddy, I never told you... or not as much as you deserved to hear it, but you are a warrior, do you hear me? You're a warrior, and you can handle every situation God puts you in. I love you, my dear. You make me prouder up here every day..."  
The blonde couldn't stand another second, hugging him again, consumed with tears.  
"God, I love you so much, Dad. I can't breathe..."

The words didn't end, and Theodora was almost dry from crying like a little girl lost in the supermarket. It was the sound of the wind and her sobbing, which then harmonized into a contagious laugh and a long walk on the beautiful, deserted beach.

"... And then you grabbed my phone, and you yelled at me that it was yours!" Lucas burst out laughing, rubbing his bare feet in the sand. "You were always like a house-boss. And you still are."  
"Oh, come on!" Teddy laughed, placing his head on his dad's shoulder. "I don't think I'm as bossy as you say. You know, only men can be so stupid sometimes..."

The man put his hands to his chest as if he were going to have a heart attack, and smiled. The comment had hit him in the ego like an arrow.

"Don't tell me you mean Owen..." he said his son-in-law's name sweetly, and stopped short, admiring the bright sunshine. It was a beautiful sunset painting. "I hope you mean the other fossil-faced jerk. That one doesn't deserve you, and trust me I know why I'm telling you."

So Lucas wasn't lying when he said he'd seen it all; of course his bass wrapped up the dark concept of what his relationship with Tom Koracick was. The name removed her consciousness, but she tried to let it pass as a simple reminder to her archives and life lessons.

"... Fossil-faced jerk" Teddy laughs out loud, making the comparison in his imagination and then bursting out laughing. Her father was always the most sarcastic one in the house, and she had inherited it; more than likely. "You do some comparisons... you deserve an award."  
"He didn't deserve to be called by name" he patted her on the shoulder, taking a few steps away to pick up a stone from the ground and throw it into the sea. "When you get back down there, tell him the angels hate him."  
"I don't think I'll even tell him..." she starts talking, and then she realizes something specific. Going back down? "Wait..."

No one else spoke. Suddenly, she just heard the sound of waves mixing with the sand in crude natural movements. In the back of her head she found the bits and pieces of her memories, before she went into that deep, blissful sleep.

"Was it him?" the question echoed all over the beach, like an echo. All she saw was suddenly water, and the sunset was turning into a terrifying darkness. A shocking flash of lightning shook her, and she fell to her knees feeling weakness in her legs; as if she had lost everything.  
"It was him, Theodora", her father's voice resounded in the darkness, and again he appeared beside her. "Make him pay for everything he did to you, I know you can..."

The voice seemed more and more distant. Teddy looked to the side, and her father was no longer beside her.

"Dad?" she heard the echo of her words, lost inside the storm.  
"I love you, Teddy" was the answer. She seemed to be inside a mystical cave... so much so that her father spoke again. "I will always love you. Go, and make him pay..."   
"I love you!”

In a sudden twist and a blink, the storm stopped. All the black faded and everything was white; it seemed to be the divine creation, when God made the light to see everything he had made in the world.   
She didn't know where she was... where she was exactly. Suddenly she was lying on what appeared to be a bed, and there was no one with her. It was a demanding silence. She could only hear the peculiar and constant sound of machines... then everything began to make sense.  
Altman blinked three times in a row, improving the capacity of her visual range. She had things in her hands and was lying on a comfortable hospital bed. In the distance there was a glass door, and she could see silhouettes in the distance.

"Are you awake?" A voice to her left sounded, and a familiar hand settled on her cheek. The fingers were cold, trembling. "You're... you're awake, oh my goodness. Teddy..."

Then she realized who it was, and whispered wistfully.

"Owen..."


	14. Worship You On My Sleep (Pt. 2)

Purple skies and pieces of crunching wood under her feet. The water of the lake moved peacefully, and the sea fish made oceanic runs in search of their food. Theodora was appreciating everything from the path. She was alone, sitting on the wet, old wood with her shoes on it. She was wearing a green jacket like pine, a patterned shirt that her father used to wear, and some comfortable jeans. 

She knew where she was. She had fallen into another corner of her memories, into a deep sleep like the Pacific Ocean.  
A sudden movement in the water jolted her, and suddenly someone called her name. She was not on her own.

"Teddy!" seemed to be an old woman's voice lost in the woods. But still for some reason she sounded familiar. The blonde stood up, turned around, and looked at a shadow in the distance; one that was getting closer and closer, with enormous steps.  
Until finally the shadow was at most ten footsteps away from her. There was the woman. She had short blonde hair, beautiful green eyes like streetlights, and a smile like hers. She was wearing a beautiful short dress, with a water green color that highlighted her eyes very well. She was also wearing a shiny gold necklace that displayed a name.  
"Mary."

It glowed brightly, matched by the bright light of the sun. Teddy almost gasped in surprise. That woman was her mother.

"Mom?" she asked without coming out of a state of shock, walking up to her with the same dinosaur footsteps until she threw herself into her arms with unfailing love. She was happy to see her; even if it wasn't her reality, even if it was a dream, she was happy to see her angel once again. She had seen her father... now she was seeing her. Now, she felt more at home than ever.

"Lucas is gonna kill you if he finds out you're wearing his clothes, Teddy," the woman said with a bright smile, holding her tightly until she could let go. "This is a dream. But at least you shouldn't have looked in his closet to go fishing."

Theodora laughs, walking hand in hand with her mother through the forest. Further away from the two women was the cabin. Now she remembered where she was.  
Among the many places the Altmans had to remember was the cabin where they used to go on vacations. Weeks after Luke and Mary's honeymoon, they had gone there to celebrate with a small part of their family. It was a far-off time when the family was quite complete. After the death of both of them, everyone went their own way and continued to make their lives... however, the cabin was still intact, as was the beach. They were exclusive places for Teddy, now they belonged to her, but she didn't give them much consideration.

"Do you remember this place? Last time we came here you were... sixteen" said Mary, ascending the small steps to the door of the very lonely family cabin. The door opened, and everything was still intact as it had been since the last time they came; before the inevitable event. "You loved playing here with your cousins and Lucas’ brothers. Now everything has changed..."

The blonde nodded, coming in and looking at the beautiful family velvet couch in the whole room, which had a comfortable older TV in front of it.  
"I always remember it with warmth," she confessed. "But I don't come here. I don't know if I'm brave enough to face the memories and not fall apart... and now that I'm alone, much less do I".  
Her mother's look at her daughter's words became sad and empty, but deep down she understood everything.  
For Teddy, the episode of her parents' death had not been an easy thing to deal with. 360 degree shift in her life, from one minute to the other that changed everything; her family, her relationships, her lifestyle. It wasn't until sometime later that she was able to open her heart to someone and feel that she was living again.

"Teddy, I understand everything that this place makes you feel and makes you remember..." Mary starts talking, looking for a jar of cold water in the fridge to pour a glass and drink from. Theodora was looking at her coldly. "But... I think it's time for you to live. I mean, despite all you've been through... Lucas' death, and mine, then Allison... You've kept walking, Teddy. Nothing has stopped you and your desire to move forward in life..."  
"And what is your point?" Teddy interrupts her without words, stunned. Remembering the immense pain she had experienced years earlier overwhelmed her. "I'm happy to see you, Mom. I really am. But I don't understand where you're going with all this." 

Mary sighed, taking a sip of water and then leaving the glass on the table and putting her green eyes on her daughter with her heart overwhelmed.  
"To your soul's healing, Teddy," she says. "That's all I've wanted since the first day I left. And you have... but you're still not completely happy, and I know that. For you, happiness is a concept that does not belong to you."  
That was the truth. She assimilated happiness to something that did not belong to her, to something distant in her early life, not to something present-day. The only happiness she had ever felt in recent times was the light at the end of the tunnel that Allison, Henry and Owen had brought her to see.

She remained silent, analyzing her own situation while her mother watched her from the other side of the kitchen.

"Are you afraid to be happy with Owen? And that everything afterwards is sadness, disappointment, fights... Are you afraid of that, Teddy?" Mary asked, navigating the depths of her daughter's fears.  
"I'm afraid of everything, mama" was Theodora's answer. "Everything I've ever loved has died, or betrayed me. I was being happy with him, and then this happened with his ex-girlfriend... I didn't want to believe him. He was right, but I didn't want to believe him. I self-sabotaged our relationship, and then I picked on Tom to be the most unhappy I ever been in my entire life".

"You chose Tom because you thought you could trust him?"  
"Yes, I did." Teddy released. "And I chose him because I didn't want to be alone. He made me feel loved, safe, stable... but that was only in the beginning. Then he showed his true colors. He drained me completely, and I don't know how I got out of there."  
"Easy, Teddy..." her mother whispers. "You did it because you love yourself. Enough not to let a jerk like that diminish you like he did."  
Absolutely right. The blonde was silent again, feeling a burning heat of relief in her chest.  
"I guess so. It was hard for me, but I did it... I didn't want that for me, or my daughter."  
"That was the first step, Teddy," Mary says, returning the jug to the refrigerator and then walking to her daughter and sitting with her on the living room couch. "Now you must take the next step.  
"What is...?"  
"You," whispered her mother, taking her hand to caress her. "You are the next step, Teddy. Take charge of yourself, of healing and living as you deserve... I will be watching every step you take. I always have."

Theodora was almost crying, with her eyes full of tears and a sad smile that hardly came out.  
"Do you think I can do it?"  
"You are an Altman, Teddy," she answers, and continues. "And healing is a slow, but powerful process... for fighters like you. I am proud of you."  
"Wait, Mom..." the blonde starts talking, wanting to tell her something important. "Are you happy? Are you in a good place?"  
Mary laughs, without saying a yes or a no.  
"I'm in the best place I've ever been," she answers cheerfully, and a bright light filters through the window of the cabin. It was like heavenly light, as if something was waiting for her out there. "Now go, Teddy... life has given you a second chance. Take it and fight for your happiness. You'll be happy... I am more than sure."


	15. A New Awakening

"I think that... I think she's waking up."

"Shhh, be silent..."

She began to open her eyes while hearing voices and whispers throughout the room, which had dissolved as soon as she was awake. She blinked several times in a row, detailing each person around her; there were only three people in total, her dear friend Maggie, Amelia and of course Meredith. There was no one else, at least not inside her room. She assumed that they didn't want to intrude...

"How are you feeling?" Amelia's voice was very sophisticated, sophisticated enough to make her feel comfortable immediately. Months ago she would not have thought to have such a solid friendship with her, and now they were very good friends, she loved to emphasize that friendship evolution.  
"Don't try so hard to talk..." Maggie whispers, with a worried face. Her eyes were swollen, Teddy could tell, but she didn't want to know if it was because she was crying or not sleeping. "You still need to rest."  
"You've been sleeping for so long, aren't you hungry?" Amelia asks something else again, and it shows that she was concerned. Maggie was holding her hand to ease her, and Amelia calmed down indeed, loosening up her shoulders. "I'm sorry... I was so worried. We all were. It was a horror movie."  
"Was it?" Teddy finally spoke, with a thread of voice that could easily be cut off with a finger. The girls had understood what she was saying, as they were too close to hear it perfectly... they looked at each other, and nodded.  
"It was, Teddy" Meredith mutters, marking her presence in the room. "But you're okay now... you just need to rest. We're taking care of Allison in the meantime, don't worry."  
"What about Owen? Is he okay?"

It was the first name that came to her mind. In her mother's heart, she knew Allison was doing well. The three girls would take care of her like she was one of their own children... that was all right. But what about Owen? The man she had saved his life this time, the man she had literally been shot for, the man she gave her life for. She thought about her father, her mother... and all the conversations she had in her dreams. Everything had happened so fast that it seemed like a storybook.

"I made a question, is Owen all right?" she emphasized, this time straining her voice a little more. She could still hear the window bursting and her eardrums popping, and Owen's scream tearing at her soul.  
"He's not, Teddy." Meredith confesses, sounding distressed about the matter. "He hasn't slept at all, and he had a big fight with..." She wouldn't say the name, but Theodora knew who she meant. That one specimen, the broken and deranged man who wanted to kill the redhead. Or her. She didn't really know...  
"Is he hurt?" asked the blonde, not wanting to get upset.  
"No, he's fine..." Amelia stepped in, stopping Meredith from talking further. "He's fine, he just has some injuries and hasn't slept... Link is with him right now."  
That left her a little more reassured, but still, she consumed her own need to ask about the unfortunate gentleman... she dropped the name like a spit, to look at the three girls one by one.  
"And Tom?"  
Meredith sighs, taking her turn to speak after looking at her two companions.  
"He's in jail, Teddy" she shoots. "And Owen is suing him for attempted murder.  
"Meredith!" Maggie shouts, afraid of her internalized colleague's reaction.  
"She has to know, Maggie... please..."  
"Calm down, calm down!" Amelia speaks up again. Teddy was freezing in bed, with both hands shaking and rubbing each other. "Teddy, you don't have to worry about this..."  
"How the hell should I not worry?" Teddy bursts out, starting to cry from the heartache and anxiety consuming her utterly. Now it wasn't the wound from the gunshot, now it was the wound from her own despair. "I almost died... and now Owen is hurt because of me, suing Tom... Tom in jail... What the hell is going on?"

Teddy began to feel the panic coursing through her veins, and as soon as that happened, the three girls were holding her hands to comfort her.  
"Hey, Teddy" Amelia whispers, wanting to relieve her. "Breathe, breathe..."  
The blonde began to listen to her, closing her eyes and letting the voice carry her away. She had to cool down. She wasn't going to resolve the situation as she should have by letting herself be eaten by the panic and fear of the unknown.  
"Look..." Meredith joins the conversation. "It's going to be okay, Teddy. You just have to get better. You're the only one who can stop this..."  
"We need you to be healthy and strong, Teddy" Maggie replied. "I don't know anyone better than you to stop this blizzard. But you must recover first... there is time for everything. Stay on track."

Hearing those words, she remembered exactly what her mother told her in the summer dream at the cabin: "Now go, Teddy... life has given you a second chance. Take it and fight for your happiness. You will be happy... I am more than sure.”

ONE WEEK LATER

One week where she did breathe in the smell of the hospital all the time, wasn't sure if she could hold it any longer. She was designed to work in a hospital or for the army, but not to live in one of them.   
Teddy spent the necessary days recovering, feeling how the pressure in her abdomen gradually diminished and she could walk more and more safely, making short trips from her bed to the bathroom. The visits and the encouragement made a quick recovery, raised her hopes... however, one person was missing: Owen Hunt.

Nostalgically she remembered her life with him months ago. The birth of their daughter, the planning for the wedding, the nights of greedy sex and endless laughter... all that had been real. And for a moment she thought she would lose him forever. But she didn't. In the last month she had gotten everything back, she had returned to him as she never thought she would, and she had no regrets. But she still felt something inside her that didn't allow her to be with him, and that was the lack of self awareness. She had asked him the night before the shooting: time. Time to be on her own, time to work on her past memories and insecurities, or the irrational fear she had come to feel. The first step was to treat it... and she was willing to take it.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and she looked up to see. 

It was him. He was wearing his dark blue scrubs and looked much more refreshed. Probably comforted by the good news of Teddy's progress, of knowing that he had not lost her even though she was at death's door... she could see in him, those never-ending desires to hold her, to kiss her, to caress her but above all to appreciate with a little sigh, the courage of her soul. Teddy Altman could be anyone, but not everyone could be Teddy Altman. A creature full by strength, love and courage as her was capable of everything, and she had proved it again.

"Owen..." she uttered with a contagious smile, feeling a tear drop of happiness run down her cheeks as she stretched out her hands to him. The redhead came a few steps closer, sitting next to her to take her into his arms and kiss her on the forehead. Theodora broke into joyful tears and pure melancholy at the same time. That hug, after so much time spent apart (at least for them) meant for her those moments when life told her everything would be all right. Just as her father and mother had assured her in her dreams. "I thought you wouldn't come..."  
"I had to come, Teddy" were his wise words. "I was terribly worried, I wasn't sleeping or eating... but knowing that you were getting better, I felt what I feel now. I am so happy you are coming out of this."  
"I promise you I'll be out of here in a few days, but now..." she left the question up in the air, and then phrased it. "How is Allison?"  
Owen nodded, stroking her forehead with great fondness.  
"Our daughter" he remarked, with a happy motion. "She's fine. Meredith is taking care of her. I haven't been able to; this whole legal process has me very busy... but I suppose that when all this is over, I shall be able to see her in peace. We shall be able to."  
"We shall" Theodora affirms, holding her man's hand firmly while looking him in the eye. Owen nodded, smiling sideways. "Owen... I saw them."

The redheaded man arched his eyebrow, doubtful.  
"Who?"  
"My parents," the woman replied. "I saw them in my dreams... it was wonderful. I hadn't dreamed about them for a long time."  
She seemed happy, and he was happy for her of course. He placed a kiss on the backside of her hand, looking at her quietly.  
"I heard you... the first night, after surgery," Hunt admitted. "I didn't want to wake you up. You looked happy... and in fact, you woke up for a second, but then you fell asleep again. I figured it was better to let you rest."  
"Of course..." Teddy whispers, settling down on the stretcher with one hand resting on the abdomen. "I thought I wouldn't make it out of this alive."  
"But you did," Owen replied politely, reaching for that hand again. "Teddy, what you did... was a courageous act. I don't know how to thank you for that. I just want to thank you. I would have done it for you too..."  
"I know, but you didn't have to do it" the blonde muttered, caressing the redhead's hand. "That was my chance to save you, and show you how much I loved you... I would do it again."  
"Sh!" Owen stops her, putting his index finger to her lips. "No doing it again, lady!"

THREE DAYS LATER

The baggage looked so good at the door. Theodora was almost relieved to see it there, she was finally going to leave that place as a patient, and could begin her work soon. She had been given a few more rest days at home... and she was going to keep them. The thing is, she didn't have a home to stay in now.  
"Are you ready to leave?" Maggie asks, walking through the door with Amelia and Meredith, who was holding Allison. They were there again, checking on her as if she were a little girl.  
"Of course," she replied, but she was still a little down in the head. She wasn't going to Owen's house, she didn't want to. She wasn't ready yet, and they had talked about it... what exactly was her move now? A cheap motel? Tom's house? No, Altman would never go back to either place. "Girls, can I ask you something?"  
"I'm not giving you my donuts, these are for Link!" Amelia exclaimed, and when she noticed that everyone was looking at her, she blushed and stood back. "I'm sorry..."  
"Of course," Meredith responded.   
"Can I stay at your house for a while?" she asked shyly. "I think it's my best option. Owen and I are just taking a little time right now while I figure things out. And I definitely don't want to go back to Tom's house, even if he's not there."  
Meredith got down on her knees, leaving Allison in the hands of her daughter Zola. The two spent more time together, and Zola was an expert at babysitting... as soon as she walked away with the child in her arms, Meredith stood up to look Teddy straight in the eye.

"Are you kidding?" she says. "Of course you can! Come stay with us!"


	16. Before The Storm Is Over (Pt. 1)

The day for the case was drawing progressively closer. As the hours passed, Theodora was much more on edge. She had been told beforehand that she had to testify in court about what had happened, and perhaps tell a couple more things. The lawyer made at least three visits a week to let them know what he had collected, and what they had so far to win the case. There was a lot of hope for winning it.

She held little Allison in her arms while her friend Maggie and Meredith cooked a little bit for everyone. Amelia was sitting next to her, helping her with the baby while the lawyer explained a few things to them. That would be the fourth visit of the week. The case was at least a week away.

"Teddy, you'll have to talk about what that relationship was like," he explained. "And what happened around that time. You told me that before everything happened... the relationship was going downhill, right?"  
"Yes, that's true" the woman said.   
"Can I speak to add something?" Amelia asked, and just then Maggie came over with some strawberry juice in a jug. It looked so refreshing.  
"I don't feel that's a good idea" Maggie interjected, giving her point of view. "You just had sex with him, didn't you?"  
The lawyer blushed, and his eyes almost popped out of their heads, wanting to hide between the sofa pillows. Amelia looked at her in threat, somewhat embarrassed, and Theodora laughed softly.  
"Yes... but..." she begins to say. ”He often harassed me at work to go back to him, and presumed his skills... or what he calls skills."  
"I can't believe that you being so nice..." Maggie sat down next to her, arranging her curly hair with tenderness to cross her legs gracefully. "You've messed around with the most swanky, disgusting man in the hospital. There are so many options." 

The lawyer wanted to go underground. Theodora laughed out loud this time as she fed her daughter, and Amelia raised her voice from the couch to point at her. They were fighting like two little girls.  
"Shut up!"  
"I'm just questioning your bad taste!"  
"Link is not bad!" Shepherd exclaimed, and they all stared at her. Even Meredith came out from under the kitchen door.  
"Link? Wasn't he a few weeks ago... hitting on me?"

Maggie got up from the chair, looking at the lawyer with embarrassment.  
"I'm so sorry, these women are crazy..." she whispered.  
Theodora stood up.  
"Don't put me in that, I'm your sanest friend!  
"That's right. Now, come with me, I need... Just come."  
She signaled for Teddy to follow her. The blonde woman got up from the chair, leaving her daughter in Aunt Amelia's arms for a couple of seconds. She followed Maggie right into the kitchen, noticing what she was preparing. It looked like a delicious omelet.

She couldn't help but say "It smells delicious," and feel the aroma invade her nostrils. 

"Can I ask you something, Teddy?" the woman asked honestly, pouring some strawberry juice into a glass.  
"Of course.”  
"How are things going with Owen?" she expected everything but that question.  
She hadn't heard from him in days. She knew he was really busy with the case, and paying for the lawyer who was practically interviewing her, but no one in the house had asked her about him since the day they got back from the hospital.  
"For now we are separated," Theodora responded gently. "I don't want to rush things. I'm sure that God has wonderful plans for us in the future, but for now I want to be as you see me..." she points to her surroundings. "With my friends, my "Yesterday between so many things that you and I shared… I forgot to tell you, I finally contacted the psychologist... so I’ll probably start after all this madness about the case is over".  
Maggie smiled, you could tell that she was genuinely happy to know that one of her best friends was about to go to therapy to make things even better. Certainly, things were getting better for Teddy and she knew it, but now it was only confirmed.

"I'm so happy for you" was coming a few steps closer. "I always thought you were an example of a mother. You have given everything for Allison. And I'm proud of you. I'm also proud that you finally took that important step. I'm sure everything will be fine.”  
The blonde nodded, giving Pierce a tight hug.   
“Thank you" she said. “It's really a huge relief for me... to have the three of you here at this moment. Because I'd be alone if it wasn't."  
"You'll never be alone, Teddy," she patted him on the back. "You never have been. You can count on us forever."  
Someone shouted from the room.  
"Teddy, a box arrived for you!" then recognized the voice as that from Meredith, who surely received the object.

Teddy and Maggie went out into the living room. The box was placed in the center, right next to the table where they were meeting with the lawyer. He stood up, saying goodbye to all of them nicely with a delicate kiss on the cheeks before leaving. The blonde sat on the couch, looking at the label on top of the box. It was completely sealed. The tag had a recognizable letter, and two initials at the bottom.

"For you, even in the distance. Hope you get better."  
O.H

The woman smiled as she read the handwriting, and looked at the other girls excitedly. She didn't know, she was completely unaware of what that box might contain, but she still wanted to find out. She was totally willing to do so. She started by removing the tape, and then she began to open it to notice that it was full of bags. White bags and strings. She took out the first one she saw, and began to untie the bow and then took out another piece of paper inside it.

"I know how much you love winter. It's close to us. This is for you."

She could read it in his sweet voice, and her heart would melt like honey. Then she put her hand in the bag to take out a beautiful light blue coat, a white coat, and a white scarf. Only Owen knew how much she loved those things, he was right to choose.

Meredith was surprised.  
"But look how meticulous he is! I didn't know that about him..."  
"That man loves you, girl" Amelia said in a flirtatious voice, pointing to the blonde with a smile. Theodora nodded.  
"I think he does."

She didn't think so. She was absolutely sure. Owen had proven it since day one, and although they had had thousands of stones along the way that they had to part ways to learn from other experiences, they always came back to each other. This was only the last mile, for a sweet and happy eternity together.  
She took out the second bag and untied the knot, taking out the paper inside.

"I also know how much you love your sleep changes. I hope to see you wearing them soon.

Teddy blushed. And she began to pull out part by part... then a piece of cloth surprised her. She took it out in parts, until she saw the whole thing. She couldn't believe her eyes... her cheeks were burning, and the girls began to scream in amazement. A black babydoll.

"That's not a pajama!" Meredith screamed, bursting out laughing.  
"You'll look hot in that, I'm sure!" Maggie commented.  
"Clearly his intention isn't for you to sleep..." another sassy voice was heard. Amelia laughed as she drank from the juice box. "I'm so happy for you, Teddy. I hope it doesn't take you guys too long to get together as you deserve."

There was one more bag of stuff. Theodora took it out amidst small nervous laughter, after what she had seen before she could expect anything else. She opened the bag, and took out the paper.

"This, is for our little love."

There were many beautiful clothes, specifically for little Allison. The crazy aunts and the mom in love started to check, try and qualify... Approved? Not approved? That was all you could hear in that room. Then came the laughter, and the intensity.

Theodora had so much time without feeling that she had everything under control. She had control of her life, and no one was going to take it away from her. The control of her happiness. She was betting on a happy life alone, but also on a beautiful life filled with love with her man. Surrounded by people who loved her and who loved to see her smile. Months ago she felt she had lost him, but this was the beginning of a new and brilliant stage, one that would last forever.

ONE WEEK LATER

The woman looked at herself in front of the mirror in the bedroom. She wore a black dress up to her knees, heels and put on red lipstick to highlight her beauty. Finally that was the day of the case, the day she would visit the court and everything would be decided. The day she would have to testify to her story in front of the justice. 

Theodora was ready; nervous, but ready. She shook her shoulders and pulled back her beautiful golden hair, appreciating for the last time in the day the beauty of her face before fighting a strong but decisive battle.

" You ready?" A manly sound out of her thoughts put her feet on the ground. Owen was under the doorway, he had come to pick her up.

"I'm always ready, come on."


	17. Before The Storm Is Over (Pt. 2)

"Bring Miss Teddy Altman to the stand."

It was as if they turned on the lights in a dark room. Theodora looked up, her holy, fearful eyes settling on the judge's view. The lawyer invited her to stand, and she did so to walk to the witness stand. As she took her seat she saw everything. Her co-workers were in the audience, including her gentleman. On the other hand, much closer she had the opposing attorney... and next to him, Tom Koracick sat in handcuffs, wearing an orange prisoner's uniform.  
A male voice shook her, her lawyer asking her the first question. Theodora stood up straight and firm, though inside she was shaking like a domino tower.

"I solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that the evidence I shall give will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth."

"Miss Altman, is it true that you were at home when this event took place?"   
The blond woman shook her head flatly.  
"It's not true. I was at my friend Owen's house, there was a party last night."  
"And why did you stay there?" The question sounded kind. Theodora knew these were all necessary questions, but she was afraid of screwing up with her own lawyer.  
"Because I didn't have anywhere else to stay that night," she replied. "Tom kicked me out of the house that night, I took my stuff and left."

Something sounded. Like a punch hitting the wood on the table.  
"Objection, your honor" Tom's attorney spoke. "Speculation."  
"Not allowed, Mr. Thompson," the judge denied. "It's relevant."

All eyes were on Teddy again, and that's when her own lawyer resumed the questioning session.  
"And where are you living now?"  
"With my friends," Teddy replied. "I only stayed with Owen that night at my house, because I was sure he wouldn't whine about it and make me feel safe."  
The lawyer nodded, folding his arms across his chest.  
"How was your relationship with Tom, before all this happened?"  
"Objection!" Tom's lawyer again exclaimed, interrupting. "It's irrelevant."  
The judge raised her finger at the man. "It's relevant. Please, Mr. Thompson, sit down..." she looked back at Teddy. "Please, Miss Altman, respond."

Theodora sighed, feeling the weight on her shoulders begin to float as she released the words. It was only one more time. She could feel the looks of all her colleagues in the audience, but especially her beloved Owen. She was afraid to tell everything, but that was her experience and she couldn't contain it in that situation.

"It wasn't a healthy relationship," Teddy freely admits, raising her eyes and looking at the accused. "In relationships there should be trust, love and care for our partner. But in our relationship there was neither. He pulled me away from my friends, didn't listen to my opinions and simply used me for his primitive male needs. When I realized that, thanks to my friend Amelia, the situation became more unsustainable and we came to this point."  
"Thank you, Miss Altman" the lawyer responds with a polite smile, going to take a seat. "No more questions, your honor."

Tom's attorney stood up, adjusting the buttons on his jacket and walking towards her. He was white, with a cold, threatening look on his face. He had curly hair. It looked almost like family to the arrested man.

"Miss Teddy," he says, in a half-mocking voice. "Is it true that on the party night, you left my client's house definitively?"  
The woman knew where this conversation was going, but sighed and nodded.  
"That's right, I left."  
"Is it also true that my client, in his good conscience and determination to work things out as a couple, asked you to stay?"  
"Objection!" Teddy's lawyer shouted. "This is not relevant."  
"Sustained" the judge replied, adjourning the session. "Where do you want to go with all this, Mr. Thompson?"

Tom's lawyer puffed, taking a few steps backwards.  
"My client was sober and healthy that night. He wanted to settle things in a good way, and Miss Teddy, with all the pride in the world, simply went to her ex-fiance's house."  
"Objection!" Teddy's lawyer again exclaimed. "It's speculative. My client is not in a relationship with Mr. Owen."  
"Sustained" the judge repeats again, and Mr. Thompson kicks the floor in untenable rage.  
"But she was..." he sighs, looking at the blonde on the stand. "She found the perfect excuse to dump my client, who wanted to work things out. She just wanted to get back together with her ex-fiance, and that's what she did. She didn't have the slightest concern about what may have happened to my client that night. He could have committed suicide, or tried to hurt himself. All because his girlfriend, who indeed has a history of severe trauma and insecurities, was not in the best of her senses and refused to stay. Then this incident happened."

Everyone in the audience were impressed. The ladies' faces were full with rage, and Owen was quite simply inexpressive, but within that lack of expression there was uncontainable fury. 

Teddy's lawyer stood up to interrupt him, but the blonde gestured to him to be quiet. And then he sighed, trying to stay calm.  
"Yes, he asked me at the very last minute to stay and I didn't want to."  
Mr. Thompson smiled in surprise; that sly smile that would drive anyone insane. That smile full of cynicism.   
"Oh... And you didn't come back?"  
"No, everybody else knows the rest. I stayed one night at Owen's house, and the next day, we were in the living room when Tom broke the window with a shot... Then he shot me. And I was in a hospital for weeks, by the way, about to die."  
"But, as far as I know..." Tom's lawyer spoke calmly. "The bullet wasn't meant for you, was it? You took it, wanting to save your lover's life," he says, walking across the room. "One other thing, your honor. The shot was accidental, my client just wanted to give you a thrill for the bad move you made on him".

Mr. Thompson wanted to make her dizzy, and he certainly was succeeding. But she knew that his arguments were not consistent... so her lawyer interceded.

"Objection, your honor" speaks respectfully, rising from the chair. "Irrelevance and speculation."  
The judge nods, a little overloaded. "Sustained, Mr. Williams."  
"What Mr. Thompson says is absolutely incorrect. Teddy and Owen haven't been in a relationship for months, and if they were, it would contribute nothing to the case. On another note, my client's trauma history has no play in this argument. It's very disrespectful and out of line, that they would want to use something so private against her" the lawyer was engaged in the situation, his willingness to help Teddy was evident. "Lastly, I would like to point out that my client was a victim of psychological abuse, guilt-tripping, and carried all the emotional burden in this relationship for months. I request that this should be taken into consideration. If my client didn't come home that night, it was because she knew what she would come back to if she did. And she didn't. Thank you, your honor."

"Miss Teddy, you can go" the judge says, giving an order. Teddy stood up right there, walking over to her attorney with a grateful and fearful smile, then taking a seat in the wide chair. The eyes of her colleagues were still on her, congratulating her on how well she had handled the situation. "We're going on a twenty-minute break, and then we'll be back."

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

"I can affirm that everything Teddy said is true. The accused is a manipulative, dangerous man, and has even been involved in fraud issues at the hospital." Amelia testifies in front of the court, with her hands crossed. She was practically Theodora's right-hand woman in that case. "... She was away from us for months. Until one day she told me everything, and that's when I gave her my advice. Tom was capable of doing what he did, and even more. I hope that the law falls on him."

"Many of the interns have spoken out at the hospital about the accused, Tom Koracick." Now Taryn Helm was speaking, sitting on the stand, she was the penultimate witness. "Because of his predatory behavior..., he was very fond of harassing the girls in the hospital, including me. During the time he was with Teddy, he seemed to have settled down, but then he continued. Many times he didn't attend staff meetings because he was fooling around with women at his office. It's just inappropriate, dangerous and unprofessional."

"There was a reason I never liked him." Meredith was the last one, wearing a black dress and raising her voice to the lawyers. "Arrogant, liar... and just unethical. When he was with Teddy, I found out why I didn't like him. He's a dangerous person when he wants to get something. And we were afraid... women are always told to be afraid" she stands still. "But we shouldn't be, ever. Teddy overcame the fear, and because of that, I hope that today... Tom Koracick will pay for everything he has done."

In the last minute decision, everyone was biting their nails, including the plaintiff. Theodora had done everything she could do, and with the help of her colleagues perhaps everything had been easier... but the system somehow always failed the women. She feared that this was her case. Everyone was waiting, minutes later, for the judge to come into court with the decision. And so it was...

When the judge took her seat, she looked at them all, delivering her sentence with an expressionless, authoritative face. For a couple of seconds, the blonde and brave Theodora was afraid of the sentence, until it was completely official.

"I find Tom Koracick guilty, and condemned to 20 years in prison" begins, and Teddy takes her hand to her mouth in a gasp of surprise. "... For attempted murder, fraud and all the prejudices caused."


	18. Recovering Faith

ONE MONTH LATER

The lighting in the small room was weak. Theodora was seated, with both feet on the floor, straight and stout, looking towards her therapist. A month had gone by since the sentencing, and she still felt under observation. But above all, free. Happy to recognize that this black and evil shade, which frightened her daughter's well-being as a consequence, had faded away. There were no more threats, just peace, work and time for herself. It was an ordinary life, she continued to share a roof with her friends as she found another place to stay. But they affirmed, a thousand and more times than ever, that there was no rush. Miss Altman was guaranteed to stay in a place where she was loved, for as long as her body and soul needed it. It wasn't her plan to change that, not now.

The mysterious woman with glasses and grayish wavy hair looked at her wonderingly. How long had it been since Teddy had set foot in a therapy room? Several thousand years. The first time, she remembered exactly, was three months after both her parents passed away. A period of time in which she was lost, sad and desolate... like the silent man who missed his voice.  
Now she was just stressed out. She didn't know where to start, much less if it would work... It had to work. Therapy always helps. She had put the pain and hopelessness of grief behind her; it would have taken months of commitment, maybe even a year, but she finally made it. Everything had its time and only the wise understood time, as the famous Lucas Grace would say.

"It has been a month since my ex-partner was sentenced," the whisper fades in the room. "20 years in prison... maybe more."

The lady even seemed surprised. What did the therapists expect as an introduction in their patients? Probably, thought the blonde: my name is, I studied here at this university, now I am dedicated to... But she had done it all backwards. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. But it was a first step, that she knew.  
The coldness ran through her thin arms, making her shiver. It was as if someone had put her in a freezer all of a sudden, was that how dead meat felt before being grilled?

"20 years in prison?" From her look, she seemed both surprised and curious. "What exactly did he do to you? Or what did he do?" Teddy sighed as she listened, and realized that this was where the whole narrative began... the conversation began to unfold. It was what they called the beginning of a good story.  
"Fraud, attempted murder, sexual harassment, harm and prejudice..."  
"Wow, but he was a real criminal..." the lady takes a finger to her chin, wanting to know more. "When you mean all those things... I mean, what part did you suffer in all that? If I may know, sure."

Of course she could know, Teddy would just have to be brave to tell. She sighs again, letting herself go like water down a sinkhole.

"I suffered almost everything, to be honest," she replied simply. But for some reason, the therapist didn't flip over the chair or hold her heart in her hands in agony... for some reason, she wasn't shocked. Or she was trying not to look shocked, at least. Maybe she would have heard worse, if there was anything worse than that. "He almost killed me and wanted to make me a sort of slave for months... maybe that's not all he did, but for me it feels like everything, you know what I mean? It's like everything else he did, for me is irrelevant... because... the most terrible thing, he did it to me. I've been the most hurt person in this whole mess."

"And you know what's good about all this?"  
Theodora denies with her head, what could be good when someone used you as a broken toy, manipulated you and in the last thing tried to kill you? Exasperated at the thought, she kept her composure and respect for the professional body in front of her, until she heard the answer... the missing part. "You're doing something about it, Teddy. Well, you already have... from the moment you sent in your appointment data. Now you're here. That's loving yourself enough to know that you deserve to heal. I hope I can help you."

"Do you think you can help me?" the question even seemed sad. Of course, she knew it was possible, and that her recovery was guaranteed. In fact, over the past month, things had changed a lot for the better... but she was just nervous.

"The question is, do you think you can help yourself?

She felt the stab of a needle in her heart, and a burning in her eyes suddenly threatened her; tears wishing to come out. Theodora nodded firmly several times, stroking her own fingers with a smile.

"Yes, I can."

"Aunt Teddy, the mailman just came by! He left a letter for you."

The kids were all playing in the living room, with colorful plastic balls and laughter surrounding the place. It reminded her of two things: one, how much she missed being like that, surrounded by happiness and children everywhere. And two, that her daughter was growing up more and more. It was a noticeable thing, because of the growth of her legs and how she had the fullest cheeks. She was only a month away from her first birthday.

"Come on, give it to me. We'll read it together."

"Of course!"

The giant, smiling Zola came up to her aunt with kangaroo steps, sitting next to her and arranging the pillow on her legs as she handed the letter to her. Nothing could be heard but the laughter of the children, and the whispers of possible conversation between the girls in the kitchen. Theodora raised her voice, not without first clearing her throat to read.

"Dear Teddy" started to read, she already knew who it was and sighed tearfully. "I have a whole month without seeing your eyes. You will wonder where I am... Well, I'm in my beautiful house, writing you this letter. The last time I saw you was in the courtroom, and from there I knew that a new life was beginning for you; otherwise you were already having it. It is worth telling you that I am happy, my beloved. I am happy because nothing else haunts me, I am happy because although these months have been difficult for me, and for us, they have brought me to where I am now... in a place of absolute happiness.  
The reality is, I want to share that happiness with you, if you let me. My beautiful house will become our wonderful house. My place of absolute happiness will be our place. Our daughter will be the happiest human being in the world, thanks to you. I love you, Theodora. I will always love you. So let me be the love of your life once more.

\- Owen Hunt."

"Awww!" Zola sighed, mimicking a teenager in love to make fun of her aunt. "That's so corny, I love it! Is he going to propose to you like Edward proposed to Bella?"  
"Have you been reading... Twilight?" Teddy asked, laughing a little. In the time that she was living with the girls, Zola used to ask her about books or stories that she may have liked years ago. Theodora was an eternal lover of love stories.  
"No, but I saw that scene in the movie!" the girl screams with delight. "What will you tell him, Auntie?"

The woman sighed, leaving the card on the table as she watched the little ones play in the room.

"Nothing" whispers with a smile. "Just— that I will."


	19. Happily Ever After

The sky was painted an intensely blue, and the sun was almost covered by the clouds. White, pale pink and gold balloons matched a huge number one, which floated in the mid-table. There were candies all over the place, and the children passed by every now and then to have a bite to eat; since they knew that the cake was untouchable at the moment. 

All the decoration was Teddy's idea. One could even see her similar excitement when setting it up, so much so that the redhead kept looking at her while she was tying knots with the balloons. Everything was perfectly done. She had the help not only of him, but of all her friends she had invited for that special event. Young Casey had prepared several candies that the children couldn't stop trying, and on the other hand, the three girls that the soldier had lived with for a whole month had bought balloons in quantities. That was a lovely touch. 

The proud mother looked at everything from the center, crossing her arms. A beautiful white dress was on her and the golden hair was beautifully straight. In her clear eyes there was that blending with pride, emotion and simple bliss; one that she manifested in the brightest imaginable smile.  
Two hands peeked into her stomach, someone was hugging her from behind. Immediately the tip of one nose went towards her hair, breathing in and appreciating the scent on her shampoo. It was Owen.

"You look beautiful today," he spoke softly. "This looks like a fairy tale. I thought you'd never come back to our house... and look at you. We're here, celebrating our daughter's first birthday."   
"You never lost faith in me," the blonde's response was almost like a happy whisper, and she intertwined her fingers with his. "You were patient... you were understanding. And time honored you."  
"With the best of gifts, of course..." he begins to say against her neck, sighing and then giving short kisses until a loud scream interrupted them.

"Aww! Auntie Teddy, that is so sweet." It was Zola's recognizable voice. Theodora turned around, finding the little girl wearing a beautiful red dress and a red headband. It was beautiful. "Can I have a boyfriend too?"  
The woman shrugged her shoulders with an uncomfortable laugh, and then raised her voice to recriminate her.  
"Zola!" she spoke aloud. "Thank you... you can have one too, when you're older. Now go play with the children..."

The sweet little girl turned around enthusiastically, making huge jumps to go play with her little siblings. Even Allison was with them, under the care of the older one. Theodora knew in whose hands she was leaving her daughter, and her niece was a very responsible person.   
Meredith had done a splendid job raising her... Would she do the same? This was no time to hesitate, she knew she could. Allison was going to be a strong, correct woman... but above all happy and lucky.

"What a hot couple, this makes me happy and bi!”  
A female voice echoed in the backyard. The pair looked around, finding a beautiful, elegant, well-dressed Amelia Shepherd all over the doorway. She was holding hands with someone... someone husky, handsome, and light-eyed. The man who called himself the ortho-god... Link, she remembered his name as soon as she saw him. Amelia was wearing a beautiful light blue sleeveless summer dress. It was low-cut but above all it looked very comfortable; it highlighted her beautiful aquatic eyes. Atticus wore a set of the same color as her, a white shirt with a light blue jacket and pants of the latest color. They looked gorgeous... Owen and Teddy were stunning, breathtaking, but the two visitors were not left behind.

They greeted each other with a hug of gratitude, and the occasional cheek kiss. 

"I'm so glad to see you here," Teddy said, leading the three of them into the house. It was almost like home, and it had taken her two weeks to get used to it again. "Casey isn't here yet, but he said he was on the runway."  
"Where are Maggie and Meredith?" Link asked, taking a seat on the comfortable couch.

That room was bright, adorned with beautiful scented candles and an incredible cleansing aroma. The huge TV painted the children's favorite cartoons, and there was a container of popcorn in the center of the table. The electric fireplace was lit, and it gave the place a charming touch.

"Upstairs..." the birthday girl's mother replied. "They'll come down when they're ready, and we'll sing happy birthday."  
"This celebration will be beautiful," continued Amelia, deeply moved. "You've done an incredible job, Teddy. I will take your steps to be a wonderful mama..." is the last thing she said, and she began to caress her belly lovingly. 

Suddenly, the couple looked at each other in confusion... one minute. Teddy pulled out her hair, opening her eyes wide to look at the woman.  
"Hold on! Are you pregnant?"  
Amelia nodded, taking her supposed boyfriend Link by the hand.  
"I am. I didn't want to say it so I wouldn't..."

A shout was heard throughout the room. Owen and Link had to cover their ears. Theodora looked as if she had seen a ghost; but it was a cheerful scream. She threw herself into her friend's arms, holding her tightly in small jumps of emotion.  
"My God, congratulations!" she kept saying. "Congratulations, congratulations! I'm so happy for you... you just made my day even better. It couldn't get better now."

A heel strike on the stairs distracted everyone, and for a second people looked up. Maggie and Meredith were walking down the stairs, perfectly dressed for the occasion.  
"What the hell did I just heard?!" Meredith asked, thrilled.  
"Amelia is pregnant!" shrieked Teddy, and in less than a minute, the girls finished coming down the stairs to give each other a four-way hug.  
"Holy shit, this is the best day ever!" Maggie shocked them all, while hugging them... what a peculiar and surprising celebration. It couldn't get any better, Miss Altman thought, ending the hug amidst a tearful smile.

They were all in the backyard again, all singing in unison the birthday. The little birthday girl was in her father's arms, and Theodora looked at her with undisguised devotion. It was like her biggest prize, she thought. A prize surrounded by pure love and human warmth. In the last line of the song, both parents took their daughter to approach her towards the candle thinking that she would be able to blow it out.  
"Happy birthday to you..." they all ended up there, and finally a voice that seemed to be Casey's exclaimed. "Blow, blow!"

Everyone laughed, and he blushed with a slight shrug. At the end, Owen was the one who blew out the candle amidst laughter and applause of pure joy. It had been a beautiful celebration that they would never forget in their lives - ever. The baby was in Meredith's hands for once, and everyone was about to proceed with the congratulations until Owen raised his voice in the midst of the noise.  
"Please, just a minute," he speaks in a high tone, but cautiously and above all, kindly. Theodora had the cake knife in her hands, but she let go of it while waiting for her partner to say something. She couldn't help but look at him in confusion, out of place. "I want us all to take a minute to appreciate the mastermind of all this... of all the moment we are living now. To the mother of my daughter, my beloved wife and something else: the love of my life. Teddy, thank you so much..."

Everyone began to cheer again, and the flattered woman laughed nervously as she nodded her head in thanks to everyone, especially him. The applause stopped, and he continued to speak.

"I want to thank you in the most magnificent way, since you compensated me with your return, your company... and all this— Teddy..." Suddenly, Hunt gets down on his knees and puts his hands in his pocket. Everyone sighed in a surprising tone, and the blonde took her hands to her mouth in an extremely surprising way. "Teddy, you have been my true love all these years. In ups and downs, we have always been together... and I know that, despite our months apart being a hardship, they made us the people we are now. You showed me that I deserve to be loved, but most of all to love. And I want to love you... for the rest of my life" in his last words, his voice broke like a glass on the pavement. He was about to cry, and so was she. The ring sparkled like a pearl in the depths of the sea. "Theodora Grace-Altman, will you marry me?"

Teddy hugged herself through tears, breaking into a cry of absolute disbelief: she was too happy to believe it. She tried to speak, and her words were hardly...

"... I have always loved you" dragged her broken voice, and looked around. Everyone was crying, but at the same time they were smiling. "And I will always do it. Yes, Owen..." she pauses to take a breath, and then exclaims. "Yes!"

Noise explodes like a popped champagne bottle, and the playground sinks into tears, applause, and laughter. 

A happy life begins and it would last forever, not to be snatched away.


	20. You're Still The One (Epilogue)

"Come on sweetie, grab it!"

The yellow ball rolled to the little figure crawling on the floor. Allison Hunt-Altman had beautiful little yellow curls falling down her forehead, and they waved with every step she took toward the ball to catch it in one hand. Both parents clapped as they watched, and looked at each other with that characteristic pride.

Air was cold and comfortable, the hardwood floor roared a bit under the mother's steps as she approached her daughter to hold her and give her a soft kiss on the cheeks. Minutes later, Owen would approach them to give his now fiancée a green apple. They didn't stop eating healthy, neither before nor after the pregnancy, they never neglected their diet and both tried to stay in good shape.

"Staying in this cabin for a few days..." the redhead starts talking, taking a bite of his own apple as he takes a seat on a stool. "It was one of the best decisions I ever made. To decorate it, and to redesign it... I'm glad you decided to do it."  
"It's what my parents always wanted. This cabin has belonged to us for years... and it's never too late to make it more modern, cozy, happy than it already is."  
"That's right," the gentleman nods, looking at her with amusement. "Have you talked to your therapist lately? How have you been feeling these past few weeks?"

Two months had passed after his daughter's birthday, Amelia's pregnancy, and the proposal of marriage... Teddy had been feeling good, in her ups and downs she felt safe. That was something that didn't happen to him before. But now, even when bad memories and certain scenes came to frighten her away, she knew how to scare them away and just put one foot in front of the other. Not only did she have the support of her specialist throughout this period, but also her future husband. But first of all, she had herself.

The wedding was just days away. Nerves were eating her up inside, and she certainly didn't show it because she didn't want her man to see her like that. Were the nerves out of insecurity? Nothing could be further from the truth... her nerves were simply because he didn't know where the wedding would take place. But she did. She had pulled the strings of the whole thing like a puppet, and she knew in a very subtle way, that it would be a place she hadn't stepped in for years.

"I've been happy..." she strokes her future husband's cheeks. "In a few days I will be even happier."  
"Trust me when I say that... you deserve all this happiness and more. I'm very proud of you— and that you never gave up on love."

A soft sigh was heard, and she settled down on the couch.  
"My therapist said she's proud of me too," she strokes her own hands, with a slight, unconscious smile running down her face. "It's amazing to see... all the progress I've made. Life never stops. Lucas must be partying up there, I guess..."  
"You told me he hated..."  
"Don't name it."  
"Yes, yes. Uhm..." he resumes his conversation. "Have you been dreaming about your parents again?"  
Teddy made an affirmation with her head, not stopping smiling.  
"Yes. The day we won the case..."  
On an instinctive impulse, Owen placed his hand on his future wife's hand, stroking her backside with his warm thumb.  
"And you want to see him again, don't you?"  
"Both of them" spoke briefly, caressing the hand of his man back. "But I guess... that's for them to decide, not me. I'll be ready when they want to see me in my sleep. Do you think they will?"  
"They will always want to see you, Teddy."

A small bang echoed against the table. It was neither hands nor feet, it was more like something hard... so it wasn't them. It was their daughter. One recognizable cry from miles away thundered through the entire cabin and beyond to the surrounding landscape. Allison must have hit her forehead slightly.

"I'm sure she was looking for the ball again!"   
Owen answers, getting up from the couch to look for her. The woman shoots off the couch into the kitchen, opening each box in a hurry.  
"Oh, look, Allison has a bump!" he says tenderly, patting her on the back trying to stop the whimpering. "... Her first bump."   
"Who cares about that? Where the hell are the band-aids?"  
"In the bathroom... don't get upset," he said in a more relaxed tone of voice, as he looked at his daughter and she slowly stopped crying. "It's her first bump.  
Theodora ran like a running girl into the bathroom, sounding the doors open one by one in a stab.  
"It's a bump, she didn't call you daddy, Owen!"  
"It's okay..." he responded quietly, looking at little Allison who had eventually stopped crying."Your mommy can be a bugbear sometimes, if she murders me one on this day, remember that I love you."  
"I'm hearing that, Owen Hunt!" shouted Teddy from the bedroom. "Get your ass over here with our daughter, right now!""Your mommy can be a bugbear sometimes, if she murders me one on this day, remember that I love you."  
"I'm hearing that, Owen Hunt!" shouted Teddy from the bedroom. "Get your ass over here with our daughter, right now!  
"On my way, Chief Altman!"

One foot in the sand, then another. One... and then another. The place was full of white chairs are red fabrics for the guests. Medical staff closest to Theodora and Owen, including higher ups like Bailey or Richard were there in the front rows. She could see everything from the back, just arriving at that altar.

On top of her was a long white dress, and on the edge that walked at the same height as her feet, could be seen in small letters "Theodora Grace Altman Hunt."  
The girls were impressed with the dress, for how aesthetic and elegant it was; but not only for that, but also for how it fit her. You could see the divine curving of her hips, and the thin features of her face. The eyes of the lady could almost enlighten the place, overflowing with joy, nerves, but above all love for her life. That was something that in fact, her close friends in the early chairs adored more than any sight... the fact that someone as deserving of love and happiness as Teddy was having the beautiful life she deserved. 

Flowers were falling everywhere, and the two bridesmaids, Maggie and Amelia, were looking at their friend from the distance with unrelenting smiles upon their cheeks. They were about to cry, and the light-eyed one was caressing her belly, too much emotion together was a collapse.

Not even the light wind spoiled her hair. He could appreciate it more and more as she approached the altar, to the beat of the music of the small symphony orchestra. Until something finally connected: their looks. Owen Hunt was wearing a navy blue wedding suit, and it looked so good that she couldn't take her eyes off it... first, because it was so heavenly, and second, because she couldn't wait to rip the suit off next to her dress. Now she was a lucky girl and she knew it. Many women in the hospital were crazy about the redhead, but only a woman had won that battle for years. It was an everlasting love, one that no one and nothing would ever be able to break.

Standing in front of him, they held hands while the person who had been behind the wedding planning was going to marry them: Meredith Grey. 

"Ladies and gentlemen" raised her voice, capturing everyone's attention. "We are here to celebrate the unity of these two people who more than our friends are like family. Teddy, who has become a sister to me since becoming a mother... and Owen, whom I have known for years and watched grow up. It's an honor to be standing right here, and enjoying this moment... now— you can say your vows."

Owen clears his throat nervously, and part of the audience laughs. But he continues, looking his almost-wife in the eye.

"Teddy. If I had been asked 20 years earlier if I wanted to get married... if I wanted to have children, I probably would have said no. Because I thought that, having my parents' family, I had everything. But there comes a point - where everything changes, with one factor; one person. In my case, that person is you. You changed everything since I first met you. The days in Iraq in the training camps, the games and adventures, the discussions, the surgeries in the hospital... so many things. I knew my place was with you, forever. As a friend, as a best friend, as a lover... as a husband. It was always going to be you. You are my inescapable pleasure. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

The whole audience was in tears, no one expected romance coming from a man as rough and strong as he was, but Theodora knew he was. He was the most detail-oriented, and caring... God, the tears came down her cheeks even after he had finished speaking. She was not sure if she would say her own vows without remembering what he had said, and break into tears again, wanting to smash her mouth against the other one.

"Teddy, now it's your turn." 

"Owen..." she tried to start, interlacing her fingers with his. "I never thought I'd be happy again after losing so much in my life. After I lost two parts of my family, after I lost my first husband... I was devastated. I didn't want to go on. And you, for twenty years have kept me in the saddle: with your words, your support and your unconditional love. It took me a while, but I finally realized and accepted that my place was by your side. As your friend, as your partner and now wife. I have loved you forever... and always will. From the days in Iraq, to our nights in Berlin. I love you, Owen."

"Owen, do you take Teddy to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Teddy, do you take Owen to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?"

Teddy lets out a sigh, and looks at him with a disapproving face... that makes everyone wonder. For a minute, in the dead silence, Owen stares at her and his fingers quiver. Then she broke it, taking him by the shoulders to bring him to her. 

"Of course I do!"

People burst into cheers, and a bunch of roses landed on them. Teddy caught her husband's lips in a highly passionate kiss that not even in the most intimate moments had she given him; that was a husband-and-wife kiss, the first of several, and one that she never wanted to end.

"With the experience that a marriage has given me before, thanks to the internet, again... I pronounce you two married!"

Wanting to recover the air lost in that lengthy kiss, the wife separated a few meters from her face and took her gaze to the audience. Everyone was laughing, crying, applauding, screaming... and she almost did it too. Until she saw something in the deep end of the whole celebration. Two people behind the lines on the chairs, almost stepping on the carpet.

A well-dressed man in a wedding dress, and a woman in an elegant purple dress and a stylish pearl necklace. Two eyes clear as a streetlamp over her, embellished with the outline of their smiles: Lucas Grace and Mary Altman.

Teddy released a gasp and only grinned among tears filled with pure bliss. Took her husband by the cheeks again, stamping her lips against the others... in a second kiss, which she wanted to last forever.


End file.
